


Marena

by LittleBluejay_SingingSongs



Series: The Banker [4]
Category: Ianto and the Banker, The Banker - Fandom, action/adventure - Fandom
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 50,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24486592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleBluejay_SingingSongs/pseuds/LittleBluejay_SingingSongs
Summary: Set sometime after the beginning of Ianto and the Banker, Marena’s adventures and misadventures explain why she is always hiding in plain sight and always changing her name.What Marena never learns, she is one of the embryos Warren brought with him from his planet.
Series: The Banker [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1455379





	1. Leaving home.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There once was a little girl. Maybe it was because of the watery green of her eyes, that her parents named her Marena. Her hair was black and her skin had a decided yellow color. Thinking she had jaundice they kept her in the sun much more than other children until her coloring became quite a pretty medium brown. Alas, the color didn’t last and she was to forever sunbathe throughout her life. 
> 
> She was very smart. Braiding and weaving came easily to her. When she was older she was adept at many different languages.

Marena’s parents delight at their second child’s coloring, being two shades lighter than the rest of the village, and her hair, which was extremely straight, was forgotten the day she told them she heard talking, in her head. It was one difference too many for the villagers. They asked the Elders to do something. They asked her to repeat the sounds. Too many voices speaking too many languages made it impossible for them to recognize any of the sounds as being words or sentences. They decided she was possessed by demons. Her parents advised her to ignore the sounds, as they began to ignore her.

Until one day by chance, Marena woke up hearing a conversation she understood. Because this conversation was in her own language.

  
“Hello?”

“Hello.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you.”

“It’s time.”

Marena thought very hard, and said very loudly, “Who are you?”

“I am Jerry.”

The answer stunned her. She jumped out of bed and danced around. The voices were not demons! They were people talking to each other! “Why do the other voices sound so strange?”

“People everywhere talk the way their parents taught them.” That made total sense to her. “What is your name?”

”Marena.”

“Are you married?”

”No.” She laughed at the absurdity of being married. “I have to go tell my mother. Maybe she’ll be happy with me.” She paused, dithering. “My father is away, hunting monkeys.” She ran to find her mother.

Jerry had a telepathic conversation with ‘The Group’. They agreed, from Marena’s language, she was in Africa, south of the ‘horn’. They tasked Ianto to find her. He and a crew of men headed for the Red Sea and continued down the African coast in a very fine sailing ship.

Meanwhile, Marena’s mother was not happy and turned away from her daughter. Marena was shocked. “But, I don’t have a demon in me!”

When Marena tried talking to Jerry again, he did not reply, because he was asleep.

Marena wandered around the village for many days feeling very lonely as everyone turned away from her. When the men returned from the hunt, her father spoke with his wife and shook his head sadly as they looked at Marena. She didn’t know it, but that was the last time her parents ever looked at her. She was to be shunned by the whole village. Marena was crushed.

The shunning became impossible. Her parents no longer gave her a bowl at mealtime. She did the unthinkable. She reached into her brother’s bowl and took some of his food. He wanted to protest, but everyone there nodded no, to him. The leader took her brother and held him in his lap. He shared his food with her brother. Marena kept thinking about the moment when everyone shook their head. They were talking about her.

That night there was no longer a place for her to sit in the evening. The next evening her bed was gone. Still nobody would look or speak to her.

Marena decided she was going to have to leave. Maybe Jerry has a tent and I can live with him? Sneaking food and water she walked through the forest. Along the way she kept trying to talk to Jerry. She was tired and ate her food. The day seemed very long. She slept during the hot part of the day. Jerry still did not answer her. Marena wondered who was the other person, that Jerry missed? They both sounded like adults and she was sure they were both men. Despondent and sad she slept that night beside the path hiding between the toes of a tree.

When the moon rose it’s brightness woke her. Sadly she thought, “Jerry where are you?”

“Hello. I am in my house.”

“Jerry!”

“Yes.”

“Can I come live with you?”

“Yes.”

“Where do you live?”

“Roma.”

“Where is that?”

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know. I left my village.”

“Do you know the name of your village?” She paused for a few minutes. “How old are you?”

“Seven.”

Jerry pondered the situation. “Do you know how to do a mind trip?”

“I don’t know. What is that?” Jerry informed The Group, Marena was seven and simply too young. Maybe over time she will be able to do a mind trip.

“Have you ever gone up in the sky and looked down at your village?”

“Like a bird?”

“Yes.” He paused while she laughed. “I need some way to find you.”

“Oh.”

“Do you know how to find me?”

“No.”

“Do you see? We have a problem. I have friends.”

“Like the one you miss.”

“Yes. I will talk to them and we will try to find a way to find you. What do you see around you?”

”Trees. They are very tall. They have vines hanging around them. I hear frogs talking to each other.” Marena began walking and talking. “It is very quiet at night.”

“Do you see the moon?”

She looked through the branches and leaves. “Yes.”

“When the sun first comes up I will try to talk to you. When you first see the sun come up, you try to talk to me.” At least then we will know where she is on the north/south axis.

“I will do this Jerry.”

She knew Jerry was gone. But, how she knew he was gone, she didn’t know.

In the morning Marena awoke before the sun rose, hungry and sore. She started walking the path. It led her to the edge of the forest. Ahead of her was nothing but small trees, bushes, grass and a strip of hills in the far distance. She kept walking. At the crack of dawn she yelled out, “Jerry!” Over and over she yelled his name. She heard him laughing.

Jerry was delighted at her closeness to the shore of the Indian Ocean. “What do you have to eat?”

”Nothing.”

“Marena are you near any mountains, or water, or a river maybe?”

“The ground is very flat. Just like at home. But, it is a little scary.”   


“What is scaring you?”

“There are no trees here.”

“My friends are looking for you.”

“They are?”

“They have a way of looking. From above you.”

“Like an angel.”

“Yes. Like an angel. They are all looking down at you trying to find you. Can you start a fire?”

“No.” She knew how to start a fire. Of course she did. She didn’t have have any embers or any of the rocks they used to start a fire. 

“Can you make a mark on the ground?”

“What?” She scraped a fingernail on the ground.

“By running around in a circle? Or laying twigs or rocks in a formation?” Marena looked around. “What plants are around you?”

“Grass.”

There were shrubs around her. They were low in height and the grasses were tall.

“Anything else?”

“No.”

“You are on a path?”

“Yes.”

“Pick a spot and start making a large circle. Stomp on the grass and make a circle that goes on both sides of the path. That way they will look down at you and see a circle with the path going through it.”

She took a few steps into the field. “I am starting to make the circle.”

“We are looking for you.”

She thought Jerry was gone again. How was she to make a circle? She thought of a game they played and went back to the path and picked grasses and wove them together. She kept adding more grasses to her bundle. She moved up the path a long way and attached her bundle to several stalks of a bush. Using more blades to tie the whole thing together, she stepped away. It was hard to see the top. Pulling the whole thing sideways she added twigs with flowers to the top. When it was straightened again it slowly wanted to fall over. She fixed the base.

When she was done, she ran down the path to her beginning spot and looked back at the flowers floating in the sky. She took a step and stopped. Pointing her left hand at the flowers she took a step. As she walked she kept pointing at them. When she reached the path again she kept going until she reached the beginning. After traveling around three times she no longer needed to watch or keep pointing at the flowers. She followed her tracks.

She found walking the circle fun at the start of the day. Now the sun was up and she was hot and thirsty and tired. She started crawling to be in the shade of the plants. She started smashing the plants on either side of her circle, thinking that that would make the line thicker. Eventually she tired and slept for a while.

“Marena.” She woke up. “Marena.”

“Hello?”

“Marena my friends found you.”

“They did. Where are they?” She jumped up and looked around.

“You were laying down.”

“Yes. I fell asleep. Where are they?” Marena ran around the circle until she reached the path. She looked up and down the path. “I am afraid to leave the circle.”

“My friends are looking for water and food for you.”

“They are? Where are they? I don’t see them.”

“Wait. I will tell you which way to go.”

“I will. I will wait.” She sat down.

After a while Jerry asked, “Can you stand and point. Slowly turn around.” He told her to stop when she was pointed in the correct direction. “That is the direction you must walk.” She walked. Jerry sang a song to keep up her spirits. The song was about a little bird making a nest. She laughed. She cried. She was tired when she reached a little stream. She jumped in. The water was cold. She played and laughed and drank the water. Then crawled next to a bush and slept. It was dark when Jerry talked to her again. “Marena?”

”Jerry?”

”Marena. Drink more water and get very wet. You have to keep walking. Point again and turn.”

“Yes, Jerry.” She jumped in. When she climbed out, she pointed and turned.

“Stop.” She walked. Slowly the sun rose. Many hours later, when her spirits were sad, she walked slower. “A long ways ahead are plants you can eat.” She began running. Tired, she stopped running and went back to walking. “The plants grow roots in the ground. Pull them out and pull off the outer layers. The insides are sometimes juicy. Sometimes hot tasting. I cannot tell you what they taste like until you bite one.” She thought that was funny and continued to walk. 

Hours later, Marena feeling dizzy, reached a field with onions. The plants were stuck in the ground. She pulled and pulled, gave up, and began looking at the bottoms of the stalks carefully.

“The green part is also food.” She ate a stalk.

“It is smelly. And sorta hot.” Again she examined the plants carefully. They were green until the bottom where they turned purple. Many of the green stems had fallen over. She found one that the root was almost coming out of the ground. Pulling it out she sat to eat it. “It is hot tasting.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“It is a little juicy.” As the hotness became too much she stopped eating. Then her hunger took over and she ate it anyway. She stopped feeling hot and dizzy. “I feel better, Jerry.”

“My friends are running to reach you. You will have to stay with the onions tonight. Can you stay there?”

“Yes, Jerry. Onions? Is that what I am eating?”

“Yes.”

“Jerry, what are their names?”

“One is called Ianto.”

“Yantoo.”

“Ianto.”

“Ianto.”

“Yes. The other is called Nathan.”

“Na than.”

“Yes, Nathan.”

“Ianto. Nathan. Jerry. Do you have a family?”

“No. My parents died. I have brothers and sisters. They live far away from me. I have lots of friends.”

“Do Ianto and Nathan have families?”

“No. They are not married.”

“Are you married?”

“No.”

“Maybe someday you will be married.”

“Maybe. Rest. Eat. And sleep. In the morning I will talk to you.”

“You will talk to me about what?”

“What direction to walk. And how soon my friends will be there with you. Ianto and Nathan are running all day and all night to be with you.”

“Maybe you, if you tell me now what direction to go. I can start now.”

“Ianto wants to try the onions. He wants to run to you.”

“I will wait here.”

“Thank you, Marena.”

Marena dug out more of the onions to give to Ianto and Nathan. She played and ate. She laid on the ground dreaming. The sun went down. Marena slept. Early in the morning she woke up. While eating an onion’s stem, it was with relief when she heard Jerry.

“Marena.”

”Hi, Jerry.”

”Wait a little longer, Marena. They will be there before the sun sets.”

As the sun rose higher, she dreamed about seeing them. Marena kneeled the way her mother always did. She waited. She didn’t know what to think, what should she say to Ianto and Nathan? What should she do for them? She had nothing to offer them to drink. She grew anxious waiting for Ianto and Nathan to arrive. She laid down and cried.

And then she heard them.


	2. Rescue.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and Nathan find Marena.

Ianto and Nathan stopped and looked around. They knew they were close. But, where was she? Where were the onions? They must be visible, since a seven year old found them. Finally Nathan said, “Up.” He bent down, cupping his hands. Ianto climbed up on Nathan and sat on his shoulders. “Nothing. Higher.” He carefully stood up on Nathan’s shoulders, balancing himself with their two spears. Nathan held onto his legs.

“There.” Ianto pointed a finger at the child. Ianto bent down and held onto Nathan’s hand and then shoulder as he jumped down. He grinned. “She is laying down.” They drank and started running again.

Hearing their feet pounding the ground Marena jumped up and waved her hands above her head. “Hello, Marena.” They both came near her. She kneeled. Intimidated by their spears, she brought her head down to her knees. They were breathing hard. “I am Ianto.”

“I am Nathan.” They waited until she looked up at them. Nathan smiled, jumped up and looked at the onion plants. He dug out old stems and leaves and things and started a fire.

Marena sat up. They were tall and thin runners. The clothes they wore, left her speechless. Nathan’s wrap was brown with white spots. Ianto’s was black and white vertical stripes. They both had shirts and belts of a dark brown skin. “Thank you for coming here to get me.”

“Thank you for waiting for us.” Ianto’s eyes twinkled.

“These are for you.” She handed Ianto her bundle of onions. He examined them.

“Thank you for these. These stems are braided together very well. Who did this for you?”

Surprised she stammered, “I did this.”

“You braided these good. This is good. This good work you did will allow us to take them with us. We don’t have to worry about losing any of the onions.” She beamed at him. Ianto smiled back. Nathan laughed. “Nathan knows how to cook onions.”

“How?”

“See the stick he is using?” She watched intently. “He takes the onion out with the dirt still on.” They watched Nathan work. Every so often Nathan shook out a leg or an arm. Ianto stretched, and stamped a foot, then the other foot. “Now he places it almost on the fire. He leaves the stem out. The stem makes a good handle.” She nodded. Ianto nodded. Nathan turned away from them, and smiled again. He finished and returned to Ianto and sat looking at her. Ianto asked, “Are you thirsty?”

She nodded and looked away. It was bad manners of her. She was supposed to offer them something to drink. Ianto handed her a decorated bag made of leather. “You are the guest. You drink first.” Ianto looked at her steadily. His eyes looked happy. His mouth was not exactly happy. He took the bag back, took a brief sip and gave it back to her. She said, “Thank you.” She drank. The water tasted strange. Nathan came over and watched her. He too, took a drink and went back to digging out onions.

Ianto watched Marena’s face scrunch up at the taste of the water. She was covered in dirt, especially her hands, from digging out the onions. Lines of skin clear of dirt down her face showed how much she had sweated or cried? In this heat with no food or water? And then having to eat raw onions to survive.He thought she was a tough little child, and she was adorable and Ianto wanted to hold her in his lap. The way he’d crawled in his father’s lap, when he was her age. “We boil the water with leaves. It keeps the water fresher, longer. It helps you to be strong.” Maybe the tea was a little strong. He began undoing his belt and laid it on the ground. Carefully unrolling the skin revealed thin strips of meat and leaves. He broke one of the strips into three pieces and held one piece out to Marena. “Marena this is dried meat. I think you might like it.”

“Thank you.” She tried to bite it, it was very hard. Nathan took his piece and put it in his mouth and didn’t chew. She checked Ianto, he did the same. Marena sucked on the meat. Her mouth watered. Nathan turned the onions. 

Ianto removed a piece of white stuff from the belt. He pulled it several times in different directions, then handed it to her, “You may use this to clean your face.”

She’d never seen such a thing and touched it to her cheek. “It is soft.” She rubbed some more and looked at it. “Oh.” A layer of dirt was smudged into it.

Nathan smiled watching Marena clean her face. Ianto said seriously, “Fluff it out when it is dirty.” And he mimicked pulling the wool out, “and use the other side.”

She tried it on her hands. “What is this called?”

“It is called wool. It is the hair of a sheep. We will eat and rest and sleep. When the sun slips down we will begin our trip.”

“Thank you for taking me with you.” Marena watched Ianto look at her in that strange steady way. His eyes sparkled. She didn’t know what it meant. She decided that was Ianto’s way.

“Thank you for coming with us.” When she looked away, Nathan and Ianto looked at each other thinking the same thing, she’d never seen wool? And, how is it Marena had never eaten dried meat? They just loved her. She was strong enough to leave her family and her village. And even though she was exhausted, tired and hungry, she still had good manners.

They rested and waited for the onions to cook. Marena watched Nathan closely as he pulled them out of the fire, checked the fire and added the second set of three onions. He looked at her, “Now we wait for them to cool. They are very hot inside.” She noticed Nathan chewed and swallowed. Her piece of meat was softer and she ate it.

She looked over at Ianto. Ianto’s eyes were smiling again as he said, “I am hungry. I must wait or I will burn my mouth.” She smiled and looked away. Marena watched over Nathan and Ianto after they fell asleep. She rotated the onions in the fire and felt the sides of the cooling onions. She found Nathan’s stick and dug out three more onions and moved them near the fire as she had seen Nathan do earlier.

Nathan and Ianto woke at almost the same moment. Nathan checked the fire, saw that onions had been added and smiled at her. “Thank you, Marena for watching over the fire.” He felt the sides of the onions and picked out three and set them next to Ianto.

Ianto had slipped out of his belt a thin rock. He carefully cut around the ends of the onion and added a slit from stem to roots. He handed it to Nathan. Then started cutting the next one.

Nathan showed her the edges of the cuts, “Pull it up and back.” The inside of the onion was translucent and soft. “Now we add salt. Please hold.” She took the onion. It was warm. From his pack he opened a small bag and sprinkled salt on the insides of the onion. She held it out to him. “You eat that one.” She took it back and waited until they had their onions ready and took a bite after them.

Marena was prepared for the onion to be very hot. It was not. It was warm and juicy. The insides were not burning hot as when it was raw. She ate the whole thing. She scraped her teeth against the inside of the outside wrappers and dirt. Ianto said, “Here have another one.” She dropped the first one beside her and started in on the second one. Nathan smiled.

She nodded her head. “These onions are good.”

“They are a lot sweeter after they are cooked.” She licked her arms when the juice ran down. Nathan smiled again and looked away, thinking, dirt and all.

Later, Nathan walked a ways away and came back. Then Ianto did the same. When he came back he asked, “Do you want one of us to walk with you?” She nodded yes. He walked with her and turned away as she went to the bathroom.

The sun began to set. Nathan packed up her bundle of onions onto Ianto’s belt. The moon began to rise. They started walking. Nathan looked back at Ianto, over Marena’s head. He looked at her, “If I carry you we can go faster.” She nodded. Nathan picked her up on his back, holding her legs, she hung on to his shoulders. They walked.

Marena watched the grasses and plants go by. She looked back at Ianto. The forest was a strip of green in the distance. Lulled by the rhythmic motion she fell asleep. Ianto helped Nathan take off his shirt and slide it down over both him and the sleeping child. There wasn’t quite enough room. So, Ianto cut a short slit at the neckline. He cut two more vertical slits under his armpits. Her arms were tucked around inside to Nathan’s front. They began a loping run. They stopped and rested when the moon went behind clouds. Then they ran until the moon set. They rested and checked on Marena. She slept. They began walking in the early dawn. Marena woke up inside Nathan’s shirt. Her face was against his skin. Her arms were around his waist, “Hello? I’m awake.”

Nathan kneeled. “Hello, Marena.”

“Good morning, Marena,” said Ianto. She wiggled down from inside Nathan’s shirt. “Were you warm and snug inside Nathan’s shirt?” She looked around. Wiping her face clear of her hair, she smiled at both men.

“Yes.”

They ate onions as they walked along. Marina drank the weird water. Abruptly, the two men stopped walking and sat down. She heard Jerry say, “Good morning. Time for the trip.” She looked at Nathan’s shut eyes, then Ianto. He appeared to be looking at the ground. Jerry said some things she didn’t understand. Ianto and Nathan looked up, smiled at her, and continued walking down the path. She again walked in the middle, behind Nathan.

Marena looked around at the grasses surrounding them. Some were new to her. The bugs and birds seemed to be asleep. Off the trail the ground looked crackly with sharp edges. They walked until she was very bored. And still they walked. The sun was above them when she tripped. Not so badly that she fell.

Ianto made a low whistle sound and Nathan stopped. They sat. Both men kept looking at her. She said, “I heard Jerry. He said “Good morning.”” Nathan smiled at her. “What did he say after?”

Ianto explained. “He was telling people that we did a good job of looking around.”

“What did you look at?”

“All around us. The land.” Marena thought that over. What else was there to see? More grass?

Ianto offered her a piece of meat. “Thank you.” Ianto gave a piece to Nathan and tucked a third piece into the side of his mouth. He and Nathan ate a leaf. They walked. Her mouth kept watering.

“Shall I carry you again?” She nodded. Nathan knelt and heaved her up by one arm. She looked out over the grasses. A little bushy tree was on the horizon, far to the left. They did a quick walk until they reached taller grasses. Ianto and Nathan laid down. She found grasses and wove them into loose mats. She put one over each of their sleeping heads. She started a third one and joined the corners together and put it on her own head. She made a fourth one and laid it over Nathan’s chest. She was tired of braiding and curled up next to Nathan. She also went to sleep.


	3. Attack.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marena wakes to find Ianto gone. She decides to seperate from Nathan and wait alone.

Marena woke up inside Nathan’s shirt laying on his back. He was crouched down. “Hi, Nathan.”

Nathan said very quietly, “Shush, sush. Be very quiet.” He was tense and holding very still. She sat in the dim light wondering what was happening.

Nathan turned his head up to his shoulder, close to her head. “Ianto is up ahead. Do I keep you and run? Or leave you and help Ianto?” She unwound her legs from his hands. Then slid out from under the shirt. Curling her arms up next to her head she laid flat on the ground. Nathan set everything down, except his spear. She peeked out from her hands. He was gone. She listened.

Marena listened for so long and with nothing happening except the wind in the grasses, she fell asleep. She was sore and thirsty when she woke. She looked around. The sun was setting. She drank some water from Nathan’s water bag and ate a bite of onion and found Nathan’s belt. It was too long. So, she wound it around her waist twice, then tied it. Slinging the water bags around her shoulder as Nathan had carried his, they hung too long. She tied a knot in the straps.She carried the last of the onions and started to walk. Soon it would be dark. She walked faster.

There was nothing. No fires. No animals. No people. Nothing. She was alone again. She started running in the dim light of the set sun. She ran faster. Marena hit something and did a header into the ground. Her hands and face hurt, then started stinging. She brushed her face and hands and got up. Her knees hurt. She looked at what had tripped her. It was a man. A dead man. She shut her eyes and looked away.

  
I don’t want to look at him. I don’t care if he has a big bag of meat. She picked up everything, straightened everything out and continued her trip walking slowly and carefully. She looked into the darkness for other dead people. Her elbow throbbed. When she could not see anything, she stopped and looked up at the stars. Why am I worried? I am alone. No, I am not! It’s nighttime! Jerry always talks to me at night. “Jerry!”

“Hello?”

“Jerry. I don’t know where I am. Ianto and Nathan left me. Something.”

“Wait.”

She waited. And waited.

“They are doing something.”

“I think they are killing people.”

“Yes. The moon will rise soon, then you can see. Are you on the path?”

“Yes.” When did we find a path?

Jerry heard the sadness in her voice. He changed the subject to help her. “Did you see Ianto and Nathan this morning?”

“Yes.” She wanted to cry. Maybe they might die. She might never see them again. She didn’t want them to die.

“When I talked to them did you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“We do this every morning.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“You talked to other people.”

“They speak a different language.”

“How many people do you talk to?”

“How many fingers and toes do you have?”

“Lots.”

“That’s how many.”

“Oh.”

“You are safe. They are not that far away from you.”

“Oh?” She stood up and looked into the darkness. Listening. Poised to duck down at the slightest sound. “I don’t see them. I don’t hear them.”

“If you are close enough to hear them. Then you are maybe too close. If it is too dark to walk, then move a small way from the path and rest.”

“Oh.” She moved off the path. Then she remembered the dead man and got spooked again. “Jerry will I ever be with you?”

“I think you and I will meet one day.”

“Oh.” She found a spot. The stinging pains were gone. It was the aching and the throbbing elbow that kept her awake for a while.

The moon was waning in the sky when Marena woke. Her first thought was of Ianto and Nathan. What if they are hurt? Or thirsty? Was there anything else she might do for them? She carefully looked around. No. All she could do to help them was be closer. So they didn’t have to travel so far to find her. She checked her things, found the path and started walking.

Marena walked a long time. How many days have I been walking? I have been walking my whole life. When she was tired she walked into the grasses and sat on the sharp dirt. Then she started walking again. She heard someone running. Frightened she hid. It was Ianto! “Ianto! Ianto!”

He stopped running. Listening. Turning in a circle.

“Ianto, I am here.” She ran onto the path. He came to her, picked her up, hugging her. And he started walking. Of course, she thought.

“Are you okay?” He seemed to be looking at her face.

“I missed you. Where’s Nathan?”

“He’s up ahead. He’s walking slowly,” he grinned, “while he is waiting for us.”

“Are you thirsty?”

“Yes.” He put her down and took the water bags from her. He drank many little sips.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes. I am.” She handed him the onions. They walked while he ate. When he was done, he untied the knots in the straps.

“The sun will rise soon. Then I will carry you and run very fast.”

“Do you want Nathan’s belt?” 

Ianto stopped abruptly and knelt. “You have his belt? You have his belt!” She nodded. He handed her the onion stems. “Hold these.” He undid the knot and unwound it from around her. She twirled around. He ate a piece of meat and took two of the green leaves. Marena was very happy. Ianto was carrying her, the sun was up, she was eating a green onion stalk, they were going to Nathan and Ianto was happy. Then, they passed another dead man. Did he have flies on him?Turning her head away, she was glad he was a little ways away from the path. It seemed like forever Ianto ran.  
  
“Are we going to the end of the world?” Ianto laughed. “I can run for a while, Ianto.”

Ianto put her down. “I don’t know? Can you run to the top of that little hill?”

“That is a very tiny little hill.” She held up her finger and thumb, measuring the height of the hill. 

“You run and I will follow you.” 

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Marena started running. At first she was ahead of Ianto. Then he caught up. She was tired and breathing hard at the top of the hill. They laughed together. They drank water.

“Marena, you are a fast runner.” She beamed. “Do you want to run down?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know.” Ianto was teasing her. “Running down is tricky. The earth is trying to get you to kiss her. That can be painful.”

“I know!” Marena said holding her elbow.

“So, I run slower.” She nodded thinking it over. Ianto continued, “You go. I’ll follow you.”

She started running. Careful to be slower. They reached the bottom of the hill and continued until she was too tired. Ianto scooped her up and held her to his chest. She wrapped her legs around him. “Nathan, I mean, Ianto.”

“Yes, Marena?”

“Are you bleeding?”

“A little bit. I think.”

He continued until he was tired. When they stopped, he put her down. “I cannot see Nathan. He is close. The sun is setting, but it is lighting everything up for us. So, let’s walk. If you are not too tired.”

“You are tired.”

“I am.”

“I am tired. Is Nathan tired?”

“No. He is not tired. He is walking so slowly. He is practically crawling.”

Marena found that funny. “Like a turtle?”

“Yes. He is crawling around like a turtle.”

“Than we will catch up to him very soon.”

“After it is dark we will rest until the moon rises. We should find Nathan crawling around in the moonlight.” She laughed and laughed. In her happiness she held Ianto’s hand and she skipped, dragging him along.

The sun set and in the dim light Ianto saw a fire. “Look. Do you see?”

“No.” He picked her up. “Here sit on my shoulders.” She did and held onto his head. “Ah. Don’t cover my eyes.”

“Oh, sorry.” She dropped her hands.

“Do you see the fire?”

She looked. “Yes. It is very tiny. I think it is a long ways away.” He put her down.

He sat. They drank the last of the water. He took out Nathan’s pack. He carefully unrolled it peering in the darkness, using touch more than sight, he removed a piece of meat. He handed it to her, by bumping her in the arm. “Here have some.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Ianto kept feeling inside the pack. He took out a leaf and put it in his mouth. He carefully rolled up the belt and put it back on. He laid down and rested. He slept.

Marena nudged Ianto. “Ianto. I see the moon.” He opened his eyes to see her peering at him. Ianto flinched and smiled. Marena pointed at the moon on the horizon. “It is smaller every night. Where are we going?”

“To the water.” He stood and looked at the moon. He rubbed his head and found his wound. He pressed on it, hard.

“What water?”

“We are very close. Can you smell it?” Marena didn’t know what odor she was supposed to smell. Ianto looked at her, “Let’s go find Nathan.”

“Yes.” They walked.


	4. Animals and people.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abrax invites Marena and Ianto to seep in his tent. His wife cleans Nathan’s wound. His daughter in law washes Marena and gifts her a belt.

The little fire was easily seen in the darkness. The longer they walked the larger the fire appeared. Too large Ianto thought. He studied the fire that appeared to be reaching towards them. The fire was either on or next to the path. Nathan must have set it up and knew, when the moon rose he and Marena were coming. Ianto decided the small fire was a signal fire. This much larger fire was to protect them. From people or animals? Maybe we are being hunted? Ianto didn’t want to scare Marena. He handed his spear to her.

Marena was proud to be asked to hold his weapon. Ianto had picked some dead grasses and wrapped them around a rock. She stopped looking at the spear and watched carefully. He took a live grass and used it to tie the grasses together in a clump on one side of the rock. He looked for another rock. She looked too. Ianto kept wrapping the rocks Marena found. He kept looking around. He checked the fire. It was closer now.

They picked up the rocks and carried them towards the fire. Ianto said, “This has never happened before.” They started running.

Marena saw Ianto’s expression, he was tense, staring and thinking. She dropped one of her rocks and went back for it. Picking it up, and trying to hold the spear, she dropped more. “Ianto!” He came back to her. He dropped all his rocks. He looked at the distance between them and the fire. The distance was too great. Or the fire was no longer moving towards them.

“Here.” Ianto flipped up the bottom of his shirt, they piled the rocks inside, “Look for anything. People. Animals.” He had to re-grab his shirt and hold one hand under the bottom. “Can you?”

“Yes.” She picked up the last three rocks and the spear. They did a quick walk to the fire. Ianto kept looking around. When they reached the fire, Ianto was relieved, it was obvious to him that Nathan had set up dead grasses, laying them in clumps next to each other forming a row. When Nathan lit the far end, they in turn lit the next clump and so the fire spread to this point. Why here? He kept looking and they kept walking. He looked at Marena. She was looking at the flames. “Keep looking for animals.” He continued walking.

Marena liked the fire. It lit everything up. The colors were pretty and the noise of the fire was loud. They walked in the heat of the flames beside them. The flames were always moving. Ianto told her to look for animals. She jumped. He was calm. He was not angry with her. Was he worried? Why cover the rocks in grasses? If she got too close to the fire, they might catch fire. Oh. Oh. Ianto was going to catch them on fire and throw them. She looked around. The moon rose higher.

Suddenly Ianto dropped all his rocks, took the spear from her, and grabbed one rock and lit it in the fire. Marena didn’t know what to do. Ianto stuck the end of the spear into the ball of grass. He swung the end of his spear. The burning ball arched thru the black sky. Ianto watched it land, then lit a second rock and flung it into the fields around them. He did this several times.

Marena ducked down. She saw eyes glowing in the fire light. “Ianto!” She pointed at the eyes. The next rock Ianto threw with his hand. He twirled around and threw it straight at the eyes. She saw clearly as the flaming rock hit the animal in the side. It let out a yelp as it ran away. Ianto used his spear to throw the next few rocks. He lobbed some of the unlit rocks down the path ahead of him. He carried his spear and a few rocks tucked into his arm.

Marena’s used her shirt to hug rocks to her chest and moved around Ianto. The dried and dead grasses poked her. They began moving down the path. She was worried about being too far ahead of him, didn’t want to be behind him. And since he needed the space to throw the rocks, she couldn’t be next to him. She tried to watch everything. She looked for animals. She looked to stay on the path and checked to make sure she wasn’t too close to the fire. Every time Ianto moved, she moved. Ianto picked up a rock, lit it and carried it with him, “Run!” She ran. The rocks bounced in her shirt, one hit her on the chin. She ignored the pain and gripped the rocks tighter. “Stop!” She stopped. Ianto lobbed another flaming rock into the air. “Rock.” She came to him. He took a rock from her and lit it. He smiled at her, “We run.” She ran. She was very worried, until she heard and then saw Ianto was right next to her, running beside her.

Ianto waved, he slowed down and walked. Marena stopped, breathing hard. He took another rock from her and lit it, “We’re going to be okay.” She felt feint. “Sit down.” The fire seemed to be getting closer to the path. “Ianto.”

Ianto did not take his eyes off the surrounding fields, “Yes, Marena?” She pointed to the fire. He looked at her and nodded.

“When you’re ready. We run again.” He glanced at her and went back to looking into the darkness. He threw the rock in his hand. He took a few more from her. She dropped her shirt and held up her hands each with a rock, showing him they were down to the last two. He motioned to her with his chin that she was to continue walking or running. She ran. She ran past large rocks. They were the beginnings of a crest leading to the top of the hills. She slipped on the gravely path. Ianto picked her up. He took the two rocks from her. He carried her on his back and ran. They reached the end of the fire. Next to a rocky wall they found Nathan waiting.

Marena didn’t realize she had never been as happy to see anyone from her village or her family before as she was happy to see Nathan. Ianto let her down. She ran and hugged Nathan, “Nathan I missed you! Are you hurt?”

Nathan eased down and sat, “Hello, Marena!” He and Ianto nodded to each other. “I was hurt. And have had all this time to heal.” Ianto lit weedy dead grasses, farther out and around them.

“What happened to your shirt?” The bottom of the shirt was now three inches shorter.

“I cut a piece off to wrap my leg.”

“That was a good idea.” She sat in between the two men.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes. I’m thirsty. I am hungry. And I am thirsty.”

“Look.” Nathan pointed towards the fire. An animal was cooking. Ianto and Nathan undid their belts and used them as plates. Ianto took the animal down and brought it over.

“What were those animals?”

“Hyenas. They hunt in packs. They are gone, now.” They ate. Marena promptly fell asleep.

Nathan looked over to Ianto. “Sleep. I’ll do first watch.” He woke Ianto shortly before daybreak. Ianto looked at the grey sky and gave him a look. Nathan shrugged. Ianto eased out from under the sleeping child and held Nathan as they did a three-legged walk. They looked out over the plain. At the horizon was the beginning of the forest. The path they had followed last night now appeared much shorter. The blackened ground spread out from the path with a line of red at it’s outer edge. A thin line of smoke drifted up in the still air. On the other side of the path were many blackened spots and two dead animals. Birds picked at them. Nathan asked as they pissed on the remains of the fire, “How did you throw the fire?”

Ianto grinned. “We covered rocks with dead grass. Used green grass to tie it on. Some I threw. The ones close to the trail. Other rocks, the bigger ones.” He reached down for a handful of dirt and shared it with Nathan. They used the dirt to scrub their hands, then wiped them on Ianto’s belt. “Stabbed them with the spear and flung them as hard as I could.” They looked at each other. There seemed to be a friendly rivalry between them to out think the other. “The easy part was you setting the fire for us.” He put his arm around Nathan’s shoulder. “Thank you.” Nathan nodded. Ianto folded up his belt and put it back on asking, “What happened? That you set up the grasses in a line?”

“I was hurting. Moving so slowly.” Ianto held Nathan’s hand. Nathan held out his injured leg, lowered himself and sat. He looked back at the path through the rocks above them. They looked at Marena still sleeping. “We can eat. We’ll be there maybe. Maybe before she wakes.” Ianto looked through their provisions, and handed Nathan a piece of the last night’s meal. There was half an onion. No water and one leaf. Ianto tucked the leaf in his cheek.

“We have to go.” Nathan nodded. He finished his few bites of onion, wiped his hands. Ianto helped him back up. Nathan started walking using the two spears as crutches. His leg hurt with every step. Ianto picked up Marena and followed him.

The path rose up the hillside. When the path widened Ianto moved in front and let Nathan hang onto one of his shoulders. At the top of the hill they looked out at the sea in the distance. Hut type houses and some tents spread along the many trails winding through trees and rocks. Most were near the shore. Animals ate grass. Along the shore people and boats met at an outcropping.

It was too great a distance to cover before Marena woke. Nathan said, “Three days?”

Ianto thought; at this pace, yes. He replied, “Downhill.” They smiled and continued.

The path quickly widened and began to switch back. Nathan looked at the animal tracks. “That’s why the trail is so wide. They herd the animals along here. That’s how I knew to set up the fire. The sun rose and I saw the tacks. There were many. So, I followed one trail of paw prints and it quickly led to a place with the tracks of a whole pack. I thought there were too many animals for you to hold off.”

“That was good. Setting it up on the downwind side, saved us from burning up.” He looked over his shoulder at Nathan, “It was close at the end.” Nathan found that amusing.

They walked another switch-back and sat to rest. They listened in on Jerry’s morning trip, then Ianto carefully laid Marena down and moved in front of the sun, shadowing her face. They both looked at Marena’s bruises, cuts and the large scraping across her face.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“The knees and hands make it look like she fell.”

“Right onto her face too. She said she saw a dead man.” They sat thinking. Nathan started to stand, and Ianto helped him. Nathan walked ahead. Ianto waited until Nathan was past the thinner part of the trail, then he picked up Marena and easily caught up to Nathan. Nathan again held onto his shoulder.

Marena awoke listening to Nathan and Ianto talking.

Nathan said, “It never occurred to me to go back and move him off the trail.”

“That was some fight. And it was spread out over too large an area. I was glad. When you showed up. Thank you.”

Nathan smiled and squeezed Ianto’s shoulder. Ianto turned and smiled back. Nathan said, “I came along and this man was following you. Killed him with a rock.” Nathan didn’t go into the details of the bashing it took to kill the man. “He never heard me coming. As if he expected you to be alone. Then I ran up to you and joined into the fray.”

“They kept attacking and running away. We had to kill every last one of them. Or they’d still be hunting us.”

“I agree. They were tenacious.”

“Tenacious.”

“Tending to continue.”

Ianto laughed, “What did you say to Marena? That she agreed to say behind.”

“I didn’t say anything. I told her the options. I stay put with her or she comes with me. You know what she did?” He paused as they navigated, using the spears, another turn with deep ruts from rains in the past. Nathan continued, “She didn’t say anything. She slid off and hid.”

“She is braver than most children. She left her family. Her village. She made a circle. She walked all day and into the night. By herself. Then we left her.”

“We had to. If they had known she was there.” They thought over what might have happened if the ambushers had taken Marena. 

Ianto continued, smiling at his thoughts, “I began wrapping the first rock with grasses. And didn’t have to get another rock after that. In the dark, the moon, wane! Had risen. We weren’t up to the fire. Surrounded by a pack. And she’s wandering around looking for rocks. She has every right to be proud of herself.” Ianto was proud of her. So was Nathan.

They walked checking their surroundings. Grasses and shrubs grew everywhere. Birds and bugs zipped all around them. Animals moved in the underbrush. A cow watched them go by. 

“Too bad we can’t put you on a cow.”

Nathan laughed. “What else happened?” Marena stretched. “Well, hello.”

Ianto hugged her, “Good morning,” and put her down. Both men kept looking at her while Ianto wound his arm around Nathan. Nathan got a good grip across Ianto’s shoulder and neck. They began a sort of three-legged walk. Their speed increased.

Marena looked all around, “Where are we?”

Ianto asked, “See the hill behind us?”

She looked, “Yes.”

“We slept and ate on the other side.”

“Oh.” This side looked very different to her. She knew the trees. Marena worried they might be headed to her village.

Nathan said, “We have no more water or food. We must keep walking.”

Marena turned around and ran ahead. She was hungry. She was hoping to find either water or food.

The two men watched her pull ahead. Nathan said, “She’s too far ahead.” She kept going.

“I like her.” Said Ianto. Suddenly she was rooted where she stood. She ran back to them. “She runs like a foal.”

Marena stopped a little ahead of them saying breathlessly, “There are people. Over there.”

Ianto asked, “Men, women or children?”

“A family.”

Nathan passed Ianto his spear. Ianto left. “Marena will you keep me company?”

“Yes.” She watched Ianto anxiously. Unaware she was now holding Nathan’s hand.

The locals had a child who ran and told them strangers were coming, one with yellow hair. They came to see. And saw two men, with spears and a child. The dark brown haired male was injured. The other had yellow hair. None of them had ever seen yellow hair before. They had seen people with white skin. Usually they were aboard a ship. As they neared, they saw the men wore clothing that they could never hope to wear even if they saved for a lifetime. The child was a girl. Her clothes did not match the men’s clothing. Her clothing told them she came from a village in the hills and forest area, far away.

The blond ran in a loping run to them. He spoke in a language they did not know. He kept speaking, repeating his gestures each time he began. The father said, “My name is Abrax. This is my family.” And Ianto now knew what language they spoke.

“My name is Ianto,” he said while placing his hand on his chest.

“Ianto.”

“This is my friend, Nathan.” He waved towards Nathan and Marena.

“Nathan.” The father motioned to two older men. They went to Nathan. Nathan handed his spear to Marena. The men picked him up and carried him inside a tent.

Ianto looked to Marena, “Stay outside. They want you to bathe.”

Marena was most unhappy. She was standing in a shallow pit, lined with rocks, having cold water poured over her. With a baby goat drinking the water at her feet. The two children watched as their mother stripped her shirt off and scrubbed her clean. She was so thirsty she tried to drink the water. Both the water they poured on her and the water at her feet. She tried to push the goat out of her way. The children laughed at her. The mother kept pulling her upright trying to scrub her clean. Her rubbing opened various cuts on her knees and hands. They started to bleed.

The mother washed her clothes and pulled the shirt back on her. She pulled on her pants. Marena was now hungry, cold, wet, and still thirsty. She pulled her shirt up to her mouth and sucked on it. The mother washed Marena’s face and hair, saying something. When Marena gave no response, she pulled her out of the water. Another woman joined them. She rubbed gooey stuff into Marena’s wounds. It smelled like honey. The third woman, who never stopped talking, straightened her hair.

Marena knew it was wrong to enter someone’s tent. She ran in anyway. She found Nathan near the door. Someone held her back with their arm. Ianto said, “Marena. Sit beside me.”

“Ianto.”

“Here. Sit.” She found Ianto near the back of the tent. She sat beside him. She shivered. He put one arm around her. She listened and did not understand a word Ianto said. She may have not understood these people but, their manners were the same as her family. She quietly went from sitting with her legs out in front of her to kneeling like her mother.

Everyone noticed the little girl was now sitting properly. In that pause Ianto gave her a drink from his cup. There was a large plate of food in front of everyone. Ianto took a piece of bread, dipped it in the food and carefully put it in her mouth. He wanted her to look younger than she was.

Marena ate the bread and didn’t object that Ianto was treating her like a baby. Like she was his baby. The food was good. He gave her another piece. Ianto had that smile that doesn’t use his mouth.

Ianto tore off a small piece of bread and handed it to Marena. He waited while watching her. She daintily dipped the bread, so her fingers touched none of the food in the dish and carefully ate it. Ianto said in another language, “Her parents taught her well. I’m sorry, whoever they were, that they must have passed into the next world. We found her alone in the grasslands. Sitting in the middle of onions. Eating them raw. She dug them out with her fingers. She had nothing. But what you see.”

Ianto gave her his cup. She drank in tiny sips. The father passed Ianto another cup. “Do you see? She has no fear. My wife.” Ianto paused to compose his features, “and I will raise this child.”

Marena had no idea what was being said. She looked at Nathan. He looked asleep. Another woman was doing something to his leg.

She ate and ate and fell asleep. Ianto looked down at the sleeping Marena. “Marena?” She slept on. “We thank you for rescuing us. We have friends who are coming. I want them to give you a gift before we leave.”

“This is not necessary. We share with travelers. Especially travelers who are injured. Travelers who have rescued another.”

Ianto nodded to acquiesce. The woman working on Nathan was finished. She was tying a strap around his leg. She moved to use her teeth to cut some piece of it. Ianto said, “Here. Use this.” He took out from his belt his thin rock. He warned her, “It is sharp.”

The rock was passed from person to person. Each looked at it carefully. The father in turn looked at it, “Truly magnificent. It’s edge is so thin, it looks clear.”

“It is sharp. But, not strong. Dropping it, might shatter it into many pieces.” The family listened. “It is not strong enough to cut bone.”

“The blackness is beautiful.”

“This type of rock is called obsidian.”

The woman made the cut. Everyone watched. Her face lit up. “This obsidian cut it..as if the two halves were never together.” She looked at the blade. She carefully passed it back. When the father passed it to Ianto, Ianto appeared distracted, “Please, keep this knife as my small gift to you.” He went back to looking at Nathan knowing it was an excellent gift.

The family had a second surprise that evening, when men arrived, riding horses


	5. Horsemen arrive.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Sean arrive as Marena and Ianto sleep.

The dogs barked. A bird squawked. The males of the family and Ianto woke up. Ianto checked on Nathan, and wanted to enter the women’s side of the tent to check on Marena. He listened. The father sent a son out to see to the dogs. The sound of horses running at a gallop slowly grew louder and then they were there. Ianto went out into the darkness, half dressed.

Ianto listened to the horses as they passed the tent. He whistled. One returned. The second horse circled around. The son had the dogs with him. The moon was behind a thick layer of clouds that filled the sky. He smelled the rain in the air. He walked towards the path and called out in Latin, “Veni ad me.” (Come to me.) Since the family had not understood Latin, when they first met, he chose to use Latin now. Also, Latin was used by so few, it was almost a private language. Giving Kurt and Sean the freedom to answer and converse with him, freely. He called out again as he approached the main path. He heard, more than he saw, the horses.

Kurt rode up to Ianto, “Ego Curtius.” (I am Kurt.) He gave a bird whistle, sharp and quick. His horse, Bellus held his head high, breathing hard and stamping his hooves. Ianto approached the horse. Bellus smelled Ianto, knew him, and pushed his nose against Ianto. Kurt said in a low voice into the darkness. “Sean.” He looked back at Ianto. “Sean adest.” (Sean is here.)

Ianto said to Sean, “Salve. Tu deficientibus animis hauriebantur gurgitibus illis dura. Non opus est aqua. Iter nos ambulabunt in eis.” (Hello. You’ve ridden them hard. They need water. We will walk them on the path.) He walked back to the son, and in the boy’s father’s language said, “Water. For the horses.”

“Yes. I will get it for you.” He left the dogs, which scattered everywhere, as they looked at the new beasts. Another son, the eldest, came out and sized up the situation. One of the horses kicked. He went back inside and returned with a stick on fire. He lit a long thin branch. Suddenly the area was plainly lit. Both horses spooked. Kurt and Sean rode around in tight circles. The son handed the branch to Ianto and moved away from the horses. The younger son poured water from a jug into the bathing pit.

The horses had to be coaxed to drink. Once they drank some water, they led the horses back to the path. The horses were in a high state and had to be encouraged to walk slower. Ianto walked between Kurt and Sean explaining briefly, what had happened since he and Nathan had left them. He also told them about his lie. “I felt it was better to say, I and my wife would raise the child. Rather than attempt to explain that she belongs to a group.”

Sean asked, “What do you intend to do?”

“Take her to the map makers. They don’t do anything except maps and languages. Some of them are married. One of them must want a child.”

They walked until exhaustion settled the horses. They turned around and headed back. “You have ideas.” He held the flame high and turned to Kurt. Kurt gave a non-committal shrug. Ianto turned to Sean who said, “Seven years old. She needs parents. And time to learn. She needs to go on a ‘mind’ trip. A trip with others around her. She needs to learn who we are. I think our learned friends are the best place for her.”

“Good.” They walked until they were almost back. “How do we move Nathan to the ship?”

“Jonathan and Rick are bringing two other horses with them. They are traveling much slower. And William is at the boat. With his crew. They should be there waiting for us, by the time we arrive. She doesn’t know how to ride. So, she rides with one of us. And one of us runs.”

Both horses went straight for the water. The dogs warily moved out of their way.

“I’ll have Kurt sleep in my bed. I’ll see if I can get one for you. I’ll stay with the horses.” And he handed Sean the torch. Inside the tent he showed Kurt where to sleep. There was no room for another, he took his clothes and in leaving, the elder son gave him two blankets. Ianto nodded and returned to Sean. He dressed. They wrapped up in the blankets and slept. 

The horses walked around smelling the place. They cropped grass, until they became still and slept. The dogs watched their owner enter the tent. They curled up in their favorite sleeping spots. They watched the newcomers with one eye, then they too went to sleep.


	6. The tribe.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellus is gifted to Abrax. Marena rides Rosie.

Marena ate breakfast with the other children, who’s numbers seemed to have tripled overnight.The rain clouds had pushed into the hills, where it was raining. Here the sky was blue with thin white clouds everywhere, lighting up the horses for everyone to admire. They all stared at the horse called Rosie who calmly ate grass.When she arched her neck and pulled a branch from a bush, the children clapped.

The second horse, Bellus stood nearby. His neck was completely horizontal. He did not look around, his tail hung limp and his ears didn’t twitch. He looked like he was about to fall asleep. Ianto and Kurt studied him. The horse stood with all four feet under him, one back leg bent.

Kurt asked, “Equo comedisti?” (My horse ate?).

“Fecit. Non erit finis.” (He did. He’ll be fine.) Ianto looked at Kurt with a steely expression, “In septem, aut magis.” (In a week or more.) Ianto looked away and shut his eyes. He did not want to lose a horse. Nathan had a wound. Nathan came first. The horse was alive and so was Nathan. So far. Ianto wanted Nathan to be seen by the group’s doctor, “Bellus erit ad magnam donum rescuers.” (Bellus will be a grand gift to our rescuers.) Ianto passed his spear to Kurt, and walked to the father.

Kurt flushed red. He loved Bellus. He had named and trained him since he was a foal. He thought of returning one day for Bellus. As the hawk dives out of the heavens to make a kill, that thought died. He would never return to this place. Not in this lifetime. And in the next, he’d find Bellus’ offspring.

Sean watched Ianto go. When he was far enough away he went to Kurt and said, “A magnus es tu, vir fortis, Kurt. Validus equum habet magnum ferat.” (You are a big, strong man Kurt. It takes a big strong horse to carry you.)

“Nonne itur etiam ieiunium?” (Did we go too fast?)

“No. Nathan vulnus. Ianto vult ire. Nunc. Meus equus suus non etiam complevit prandium. Et maybe est Nathan ad portare Marena. Ut illa timere. Illa suus 'septem, quid novi?

(No. Nathan’s wound. Ianto wants to go. Now. My horse hasn’t even finished her breakfast. And she is going to carry Nathan and maybe Marena. She might be afraid. She’s seven, what do I know?) 

They looked over at the children. The children squatted down, eating, and excitedly whispering to each other about the horses. Sean wondered which girl was Marena, then he caught a glimpse of a child in the back of the pack, with a lighter, different coloring and straight dark hair.

Kurt took a deep breath in resignation, “Ego ad docere et curare Bellus.” (I have to teach them to care for Bellus.)

“Ecce ego ostendam eis. Et posuit Nathan in Rosei.” (I will teach them. You put Nathan on Rosie.) Kurt passed Sean the spears and went to the tent. Sean looked around at the area, the people and the animals. Some distance away were goats. When Ianto was done talking to the father he retrieved Nathan’s spear. Sean went to Ianto, “Qua lingua?“ (What language do we use?)

Ianto stopped, he had that, I lead, you follow look. “Placere dic quid. Opus est loqui cum illis.” (Please tell me why. You need to talk to them.)

Sean worried. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to Bellus. How did these people know how to care for a horse? “Equorum curam tradere Bellus.” (To teach them to care for Bellus.)

Ianto softened, “illi intellegunt.” (They know.) He exchanged spears with Sean. Sean didn’t even ask how they could possibly understand anything about horses.

Kurt carried Nathan out of the tent. Sean went quickly to his horse. Nathan protested, “Et ambulavit in omni via quam et collem. Non possum ambulate ad equum.” (I walked all the way up and down that hill. I can walk over to a horse.)

Kurt didn’t reply. Nathan flopped his head back and gave up with a groan. He saw Marena and switched to her language, “Marena do you want to ride on a horse? With me.” Her reaction was perfect. Her eyes went perfectly round. The other children now looked back and forth from Nathan to her. Obviously they understood nothing said by Nathan. She eagerly came over to Kurt and Nathan. The children talked louder, excitedly with each other, waiting to see what was about to happen.

Sean looked at the little child coming towards them. He was right! The very straight hair was Marena. He thought she looked too young to be a telepath, and far too young to go on a ‘mind’ trip. He waited, curious to watch Nathan mount. Sean’s left hand and arm loosely held the three spears. Butt ends on the ground, he lifted the points of the spears out of Kurt’s way, as Kurt carried Nathan around him. Kurt sat Nathan up on Rosie’s off side, taking care with the sore leg. He petted her, then took his spear from Sean and waited, well behind the horse.

Nathan went to take the reins. Sean kept them and with an impish smile, declared, “Non ego ducunt.” (No. I will lead you.) Sean intended to turn Rosei around to go over to the children. He did a pretend jump when he saw Marena next to him. “et unde venis et quo vadis?” (Where did you come from?) Marena smiled and looked at Nathan. Nathan laughed, “Latina est ita facile ad vos.” (Latin comes so easily to you.) Nathan switched to Marena’s language, “Come up. Sit behind me. Sean will pick you up.” Sean picked up Marena. Rosie backed away. The children laughed at the horse’s movement. Everyone forgot the teasing about the bath.

Sean laughed. He set Marena down and held Rosei’s reins to hold her head still, as he picked up Marena, Rosie rotated her rear away from Sean. Sean laughed, “Rosie te amo.” (I love you Rosie.)

Ianto watching, came over and took Marena from him. When Sean nodded, Ianto lifted her, “Bend your knee. Bring your foot up.” He lowered Marena onto Rosie, “There. Hang onto Nathan. Don’t fall off.” Marena looked worried. “You will be safe. Nathan has never fallen off a horse. Hold on tight to him.” He held his hand on her lower back. Sean passed Nathan his spear.

Marena held onto Nathan with easy familiarity. Ianto gave her a reassuring look. She smiled back. Ianto took his spear from Sean.

Ianto went to Sean, “We walk. No trotting. They’ll both fall off.” He looked up at Nathan and back at Kurt. They left.

______________________________________________________________________

The father, Abrax, sat with his chief and the men of his tribe. Ianto came over to them, studying them. He knelt in front of the chief with just his toes and knees on the ground. The stripes of the zebra pelt hung perfectly vertical. The length was tailored to end just at the ground when the man knelt this way. His belt and shirt were a dark brown except for red horizontal markings that went from shoulder to shoulder. They had to have meanings in another language. The shirt having no sleeves, showed off his arm muscles. The whole look was designed to be very intimidating.

Abrax was intimidated. He was very glad they’d decided not to kill these men when they’d first arrived. Their obvious wealth and a child made them look like a desirable target. They would have found an easy buyer for her. He looked at his Chief. The Chief may have wanted the little girl. Their two horses, again easily sold. And one of the men was wounded.

He looked at the spear Kurt held. The sun flashed a hard bright white off the tip. When it turned slightly he saw it was black. Obsidian rock. Curving up to a wicked point. He tried not to show any reaction and thanked the lord he’d treated them as guests. Kurt had arrived in the middle of the night.

The father had awoken to seeing his guest, Ianto standing and listening. Ianto took his belt and left. If they had killed Ianto, Kurt on his horse, with a blade of obsidian, longer than his own hand, on a staff, he might have sliced open the tent and killed every one of them.

Abrax looked at Sean. No obsidian on his staff. It was shorter, thinner and very straight. It was not like any wood he’d ever seen. He wondered what was different about Sean. They looked like they had taken a look at his tribe and decided they were no threat. They looked like men who killed. Easily.

The wind blew. A cloud shifted. Ianto’s hair glowed in the sunlight. “Thank you for the hospitality of your tribe.” The Chief was about to speak, when Ianto said, “I give you my horse. Bellus.” Nobody said anything. “Bellus means handsome.” The Chief nodded.

Ianto smoothly stood without moving a foot forward and turned to the father, “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Abrax replied, “Thank you for visiting my family.”

Ianto looked back at the chief before leaving and returned to his people.

Abrax watched Ianto. They put the child on the horse? Then they left.

Over the next days and weeks the father came to the conclusion that the child was somehow at the center of those four men’s lives. She was more than a child they had “found”. He spent time retelling the stories about the visit to his sons, his grandsons and great grandsons. He listened while they in turn told the story to their sons.

His obvious delight when he learned his second son had attempted to memorize everything the men had said in the other language, caused the rest of the males to learn the phrases from the second son. One grandson spoke. He told them the girl didn’t understand when “Sean” spoke to her. Surprise swept thru the men of Abrax’s family. They decided the strangers were speaking two different languages as easily as their own.

They saved up their money and the sons were sent on a trip to the port. They returned with a prostitute. They used her to teach them the languages she knew. She told them the men had been speaking Latin, a language she did not know very well. She did understand Marena’s language. The women ordered her around endlessly until she married one of the men of the tribe and gave him a son.


	7. The trip.

Marena was amazed. She had risked a quick wave to the children who ran after them, and then they and the dogs were gone. She was so high up that the road and the plants seemed far down below her. Being above most of the plants gave her a view of the surrounding land. Everything seemed to pass by very fast. She pet the horses’ skin and noticed the smell of the horse seemed to fill the air.

To her left Ianto walked beside her. The thought of reaching out and touching Ianto’s hair, made her giggle.

Kurt watched and smiled. Everything gave the little girl a reason to smile.

Over time Marena noticed Nathan’s shirt had been mended and her death grip on his shirt lessened. Marena patted Rosie behind her. Ianto asked in mock amazement, “Are you tickling Rosie?”

She laughed. “Yes.”

Ianto smiled. “Do not tickle horses.” Her smile faded. He became serious. “Horses sometimes kick when tickled.”

Kurt huffed, “Hoc est tardius pace.” (This pace is too slow.) He caught up to Ianto.

Ianto switched to Marena’s Language. He smiled at Kurt. “Sean. Let’s pick it up to a quick walk.” Marena noticed the increase in speed immediately and hung onto Nathan again. Everything around her was moving fast.

Ianto waved to Kurt. “Run ahead.” They nodded to each other. Kurt looked up at Marena, smiled at her, trotted past the horse, and took off running.

Marena saw Kurt leave when Ianto said, “Run ahead.” She wanted to ask, why was the man going ahead and was he coming back?

Not being able to see around Nathan, Marena was unaware when an hour later they caught up to Kurt. She heard Ianto say something and missed what it was. Sean took off running. When she looked at Ianto nothing seemed any different.

She had to go to the bathroom. When they caught up to Sean, he took over the reins. Kurt again brought up the rear. Marena waved to him as he went past her. He waved back.

“Ianto?”

“Yes, Marena?”

“How do people go to the bathroom? I mean when they are on a horse?”

Ianto laughed. “They dismount.”

“They dismount. What does that mean?” The horse stopped.

“You mount the horse to get on. You dismount to get off.”

“I need to dismount.”

“Okay.” Ianto held out his arms to her. 

Marena had a scary moment as she fell into his grasp. He set her down on the ground. Marena felt strange and a little sick. She went to run into the bushes next to the path. Ianto caught her when she started to fall. “Here you go. You’re doing good. Do you want to hold my hand?” She nodded and felt sick again. Ianto led her into the scrubby bushes. “Is this a good spot?”

“Yes.” Ianto took a few steps away from her.

Sean kept his eyes on Rosie. Kurt watched the area, the road, anything but Marena’s direction.

“Ianto.”

“Yes?”

“Come back.” Ianto returned to her.

“Here I am.” Marena held her hand out to him. She had washed her hands with dirt afterwards.

“Can you hold my hand?”

“Yes. Let’s wipe the dirt off with these grasses.” Marena wiped her hands on the grasses. He took her hand and led her back to the others.

“Here.” Ianto picked her up and held her. He looked at the other men. Marena put her arms around his shoulders. She looked at Nathan and then towards the road.

Sean watched Nathan watching Marena. Sean looked at Ianto. “Rosie needs to run a bit.” Ianto nodded. Sean jumped up on Rosie, behind Nathan. Nathan, acutely aware of Marena’s grip no longer on his waist took the reins. Rosie trotted a few steps, then they cantered away. When they were some distance away Sean asked, “What was that?”

Nathan didn’t turn around. “What was what?”

Sean laughed.

___________________________________________________________  
  


When Nathan left the tent, being carried by Kurt, he had seen Marena for a moment. She was with the other children and then, she was up behind him. Riding with her gripping him tightly had almost been the same, he thought with a smile, just not as tiring as when he’d carried her. Then they had stopped and Ianto held Marena. Like a father holding his daughter.

This was the first good look he had had of Marena, since they found her sitting in the onions, caked with dirt. Now, her hair was clean and combed. Strands wafted lightly in the breeze. Now that the dirt was gone a bruise on her chin was visible and the scrapes on her cheek and nose looked worse than before. But, she no longer showed signs of tears, or worries. Maybe a little tired. Maybe something else?

Marena’s clothes were now clean. Her red shirt went down almost to her knees and flared at the bottom. Something he’d not noticed before, was a bit of blue along the bottom edge. It zig and zagged in folds as Ianto had held her. Brown pants and shoes. Very simple shoes. A single piece of leather folded up in back and on each side, meeting to form a rounded point. A single tie held them on. He suddenly wanted her to have shoes fitted for her feet.

She and her clothes were now clean. So? What was it about the look that bothered him? His eyes smarted with the beginnings of tears when he knew what bothered him. All the extra things mothers usually do for their children were not there. Except for that line of blue. Normally children wore multiple bracelets and necklaces. Marena had a single bead tied on each wrist. And they looked old. Also, she had no things! He tried to remember what he had seen children carrying. He couldn’t remember what they carried. But, they always seemed to have something. Something they insisted on taking everywhere with them.

Sean tapped Nathan on the hip. He slowed Rosie to a walk. “She still wants to run. If she does, she may be worthless the rest of the day.” Sean sounded worried.

“Ianto’s got her doing nothing but walking.” Sean thought it over and gave him a double tap. Nathan let Rosie canter. Nathan paid attention to his surroundings. “Water?”

“A well. Close enough.” Later when Sean tapped again, Nathan slowed to a walk. Sean slipped down and walked at Rosie’s head. “Rosie. How are you girl?” As the horse cooled down and walked slower, he petted her off side cheek, as he usually did. She pushed her nose into him. Sean laughed.

At the well they watered Rosie, and drank themselves, Sean took her to a nearby area with grass and let her eat. He went back, washed up, and did a three legged walk with Nathan. Each of them holding a spear in their outer hand. They laid on the grass and looked at the sky. Sean rolled on his side, “Give it up.”

Nathan knew Sean wasn’t done. “No.”

“Tell me. You looked at Marena. What were you thinking?”

“I’m not sure what.” Then it hit him. Sean saw it. “Her ears. They’re not pierced.” Earnestly he asked, “Doesn’t every child have their ears pierced? And they wear things. Little necklaces. A bunch of bracelets? And her hair?”

Sean sat up.

“They always seem to be carrying something. Don’t they, Sean?” Sean now understood the expression Nathan had wore earlier. He caught himself when he thought he must be wearing the same expression.

Sean nodded yes. “I’m hungry.”

“You don’t have anything in your belt?”

Sean took off his belt and unrolled it. “I do. I have enough for all of us. We have to wait.” He held up a leaf. “I have those leaves. That give you energy and keep you from feeling hungry. I don’t like the way they make me feel.”

“Me either.”

“You! If you ate one you’d fall off Rosie. Did you do the morning trip?”

“Oh. No. I didn’t.” Sean thought Nathan looked either puzzled or confused. “I think they gave me something last night. The pain was gone. I slept through the mind trip. Now it’s back.”

“I have nothing for pain, but these leaves.” Nathan shook his head no. They sat a little longer. Sean asked, “What’s she like?”

Nathan laughed at Sean. “She’s a little child.”

“Who does she talk to? Stubborn as an ass, you are.”

Nathan laughed again. “Jerry.” Sean opened his mouth to speak. “As far as I know. That’s it.”

“The morning trips?”

“She can’t do a mind trip. Not yet.”

“Well.”

“What?”

“She was awake at this morning’s trip. And she talked to Jerry. And I think we all heard her. I heard her.”

“She isn’t seeing. Anything. She isn’t looking. She isn’t on a trip.”

“Oh.” They sat and thought for a while. “Can you imagine being a telepath and never going on a ‘mind trip’?”

“Don’t say that. That would be horrible. She’s seven. She’s just doing the telepathy early. Everything usually starts at puberty. Oh.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Sean looked away and then stared at Nathan. “Sean, you are such an insistent.”

Sean smiled. “Speaking of. When?”

“None of your business.”

“You’re hurt. Hungry. And it’s been one day too many that you’ve been racing around. And they gave you something to take away the pain. So. You’re feeling good, now?” Sean gave Nathan a big open mouth smile, until Nathan laughed.

“Is it that obvious?” Sean laughed, got up, and walked over to Rosie, moving her and himself well away from Nathan.


	8. A map.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calla is the girl who shared her bed with Marena. Her mother gave Marena a belt with goat cheese, raisins and olives inside.

The area had many more trees. The wind from the water miles away, was cooling. Birds seemed to be everywhere. Marena watched Sean’s back on Rosie as he and Nathan rode away. The noise from Rosie’s hooves, seemed louder than when she rode her. She couldn’t see Nathan, and turned to Ianto. “I can walk.”

Ianto put her down. They walked. Kurt looked at Ianto all innocent like. Ianto knew he meant: “How long is this trip going to take?” Marena asked, “How long do we walk?”

“Days. Unless.”

“We run.”

“I was going to say, unless Rick and Jonathan show up with the horses.”

She turned to Kurt, “What is your name?”

Ianto gasped, “I am sorry. Marena this is Kurt. Kurt this is Marena.”

“Hi.”

“Hello, Marena.”

Ianto continued, “The other man with Nathan is Sean.”

Marena said, “Shhaaaooowwnn.”

“Yes. Shall we run?”

“Yes.”

“You first. We will follow you.” Marena started running. The two men kept up with her easily. Ianto on her right and Kurt on her left. When she tired, the two men noticed. Without stopping, they picked her up and kept going. Marena laughed with delight. They each had an arm around her torso. Ianto’s arm was a little higher and Kurt’s was a little lower. Marena’s arms were on top of their shoulders. For a while her feet were hanging down. They seemed to be in the way. She lifted her knees and placed a foot on each of their belts. Ianto and Kurt moved closer to each other and ran at their normal pace.

Marena enjoyed the ride. She asked, “Tomorrow?” Ianto smiled.

Kurt said, “Sean will wait at the well.” They ran for miles, then switched sides, and continued running. Ianto held his spear out in front of them, when Kurt looked at it, he looked up at Ianto, then to Marena. Kurt was surprised that Marena was sleeping. They kept running.

They reached the well. Kurt let go and took Ianto’s spear. Ianto carried the sleeping child over to Nathan. Nathan pointed, “Over here.” Ianto laid her down and looked for Sean and Rosie. Flowers and butterflies filled the clearing. Not seeing them Ianto went to the well. Both men drank and washed up. Ianto filled the water bags. Kurt whistled to Sean. Sean whistled in reply. Rather than waiting, Kurt gave Nathan one second to grab his spear. Nathan protested, “Not again.” Kurt picked him up and carried him down the path to Sean.

After putting him on Rosie, Kurt said all innocent and amused, “You look better.”

Sean laughed, “Nothing like a good laydown in the grass.” Nathan said nothing as he looked at them. Sean and Kurt saw Nathan wore a small smile. They walked the horse waiting for Ianto. The trees shaded them from the hot sun.

Kurt ran his hand down Rosie’s back and rear, as he ran back to Ianto. Ianto gave him both water bags and spears. When they caught up to Sean and Nathan, they had the one on the horse carry all the water and spears. Sean offered to help with the child. Together Ianto and Kurt both smiled at him. They ran with the sleeping child between them. Sean shrugged.

Miles later Kurt let go and Ianto took Marena in his arms. He loved watching her wake up. She looked dully around and blinked several times. She wiped her hand over her face and yawned. Ianto set her down. They continued down the path that was leading them to the ocean. Ianto looked from Kurt towards Sean and Nathan. Kurt ran ahead to join them, “Marena’s awake. Where are Rick and Jonathan?”

Sean looked at Nathan, and then he looked back at Ianto. “Somebody has to talk to Jerry.” Sean stopped Rosie. “Come on down.” Nathan passed him the spears. Then passed Kurt the water. Kurt put them down, walked to Rosie’s off side and checked Nathan’s wound. He took Nathan in his arms as Nathan threw his left leg over to dismount. 

“Still? I can stand on my own two feet.”

“Not today.” Kurt carried him into the shrubs and set him down.

Meanwhile Marena said to Ianto, “I’m going to go with Nathan.”

“In a moment. How do horses protect themselves?” Marena raised one finger.

After studying the horse, as if she had never seen it before, she asked, “Can they bite?” She stopped and turned towards Ianto.

“Yes. And they can kick. In every direction. And when animals come up behind them. Horses can’t see behind them very well so, they kick. You are still short. Do not run up behind a horse. Go wide to the left. Their near side. And walk. Look at their eyes. You will see them watching you.”

Marena walked towards the horse. She was relieved when Kurt carried Nathan a ways into the brush. She ran to him. Nathan was laying down. “Marena.”

“Hi, Nathan.” Together they watched everyone. Marena smiled. Rosie was walking around examining and smelling the ground. Rosie ate grass. “Rosie looked for the best grass to eat.”

“She does. Are you hungry?”

She didn’t know how to answer. Her face lit up. “I have a belt.”

“You do?” She lifted her dress. And began trying to untie the belt’s leather strings. The knot was tight. She was unaware that Nathan sat up and looked at the others. He gave them tiny, no, shakes of his head. Ianto lifted his chin. Nathan nodded his head sideways towards Marena.

They stayed away wondering what was going on. Ianto moved closer. Marena had her head bent. She abruptly looked up. “I can’t get this knot out.” Nathan waved Ianto over.

“Maybe Ianto can help you?”

She nodded vigorously. “Okay.”

“Marena?” Ianto asked.

“I can’t get the knot out.”

“If you were standing, it would be easier for me to take a look at it.” She stood and held her dress up by the bottom hem, up to her shoulders. The rest of the dress fell in a soft fold covering most of her belly. Ianto knelt. Trying to look down and watch Ianto, she said, “Thank you. I forgot I had this belt. Calla’s mother gave it me. To me. She gave it to me.”

“This belt is very long. I think you will be able to wear it when you are all grown up.” Ianto pulled one strap out. Then the other and then the last two came apart after much sticking to each other. “There.” He smiled at her, stood up and looked at Nathan, then Sean and Kurt. Marena unwound the belt from around her waist, twice. And then it was off. Her dress fell back down over her pants.

“I think there is something in it. There is something in it.”

Ianto waved. Kurt and Sean joined them. They began removing their belts and opening them. Ianto sat beside Marena and Nathan. She handed him the belt. She worried. Ianto was looking at the colors on the belt for a long time. She rested one arm on his shoulder. He didn’t seem to notice, “This is a picture, Marena.” The belt looked different to her now.

“Like your shirt? This red part?”

Ianto thought for a moment, “The red is drawn onto my shirt. The stripes on my skirt are that way, because a Zebra grows his hair that way.” Marena listened. She ignored the belts Sean and Kurt opened, showing off a small feast. Ianto continued, “Just as Nathan’s has spots. Because a leopard grows his skin with spots. And Kurt’s has a big brown spot with tan, almost white around the edges.” Kurt stood and showed off his skirt. “Because it is from a Giraffe. He has big spots. He is a very tall animal. And Sean’s skirt is from an Oryx.” She stared at the light brown/grey skirt with the thick wavy border of almost black at the bottom and the tiny strip of white at the bottom edge. “An antelope.”

“A gnu?”

“Gnu’s have curved wide horns. Oryxes live in the desert. Where there is no water. They have straight horns. Do you see Sean’s spear?” Sean stood holding his spear. “It is the horn of an Oryx.” Marena’s eyes blinked open in surprise.

When nobody said anything Sean added, “The Oryx has two horns. I have the second one back at the boat.” He sat back down. Sean thought of making tea and decided against it.

Ianto asked, “Have you eaten these foods?”

She looked over the food on the belts. “Dates, and these are nuts. This is meat.”

“The brown are called Almonds. They are hard. The green ones are pistachios. They have to be roasted before they are eaten.”

“Are these roasted?”

“Yes.” She tried one. “I like it.”

“This is dried meat.”

She picked up a piece, it wiggled in her hand. “This is very thin. Like a flower petal.” She ate a bite, “I like it.” The men grinned, who doesn’t like pork?

“This is the only way we eat this animal. Dried with lots of salt. We never roast it or cook it in water.”

“Oh.”

“Do you like dates?”

“Yes.” The men shared a look with each other. Marena held her hands behind her back looking down. She moved to Ianto and hugged him from behind. Her hands crossing in front of his neck. She looked everywhere but at the dates. Ianto picked one up, pushed the pit out and fed it to her. As she ate it, she moved away from Ianto and began dancing in a circle. When she came back she ate another date.

Ianto warned her, “They have pits.” She dug the pit out of her mouth. The men looked discretely away.

“Thank yooo.”

Ianto held up Marena’s belt. This is a picture. Of this place.” He pointed. “This is the large hill, we crossed over.” He pointed to the opposite end, “This is the water.” Marena looked carefully. “This is a boat. Floating on the water. Here’s another and a third. This dot of blue with the dark circle around it, the well we passed earlier.” He pointed to an animal, “Do you recognize what this is?”

Marena looked intently. “It’s a goat!”

“It is. Have we seen any goats on our trip?”

She jumped up. “Yes.”

“Which direction are the goats?”

She turned around looking and thinking. “I think that way.”

“Yes. We passed the well while you slept.”

“Oh. That’s okay.”

The men were amused. Ianto went on, “The hill, the goats, the well and this is a river, and the water’s edge, with the boats. We are almost there.”

Marena sat next to Ianto again. “This has been a very long trip.”

“Maybe, if you’re not too tired.” He looked from Marena to the belt.

“Oh!” She took the belt from him and laid it down flat. She lifted a flap. It was held shut at the ends.

“The strap might fit thru this hole.” She looked up at Ianto. “Maybe?” She threaded the strap through the hole and did the same to the other end. Then flipped up the top and bottom flaps. “Cheese!!” 

Marena was about to eat a piece, stopped herself and offered a piece to each of the men. They each gravely said, “Thank you,” as they took a piece. She ate her’s with relish. “It’s salty.” She looked, pointing at the cheese, “We can each have one more.”

The men were enjoying her enjoyment. They had looked at the map, it confirmed what they knew. Something happened to Rick and Jonathan. Ianto wondered if Marena had ever seen raisins or olives.

She picked up a black thing and squished it until it was a paste on her fingers. She ate it. “It’s sweet.”

“It’s called a raisin.”

“Raisin.” She tried the other black thing and squished it and pulled out a pit. “This one has a stone inside.” She licked her fingers, “It’s salty. Looking up, she offered them to the men. “These are good together.”

“Are you thirsty?” She nodded. Nathan handed Ianto his water. Who passed it to Marena to drink.

Belts were folded and tied on. Kurt lit a signal fire in the growing darkness. Sean brought Rosie near and tied her to a bush. Everyone went to sleep. Marena slept next to Ianto. Ianto rolled over. She woke up and went to Nathan and curled up under his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. Nathan woke up and pushed her hair off his face. Awkwardly, he picked her up and moved her back to Ianto’s side. Everyone went back to sleep.


	9. Taken! Sab leaves.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Jonathan arrive with men and horses.
> 
> Seth and Sab take Marena. To the ship named Tayir Saghir which means Little Bird, at the city of Yambe.
> 
> Warren converses telepathically with Marena. Without giving his name.
> 
> Captain, a spice trader sails with his son, Maiz. Arabic for “distinguisher”, one who distinguishes between good and bad, or between truth and falsehood.
> 
> Arnav, Ocean. Is the first mate.
> 
> Vafid’s, Sky. A sailor.
> 
> Seth, Anointed. A passenger and translator aboard to translate for Marena.
> 
> Sab, Lion. A passenger. He brings Marena aboard the ship against her will.

Nathan woke and did a loud hard bird call. The rest of the group jolted awake. Marena was the only one who moved. Nathan reached for her and held her down, “Shush, sush.” She froze in fear. She knew what this meant. She looked to see if everyone was still there. They were. So was Rosie. Everyone listened.

Marena said softly, “Rain?” Nathan shook his head no.

Ianto said softly, “Horses.” Kurt jumped up and picked up Nathan. Sean brought Rosie near. Nathan was plopped on her back. Rosie moved her back end away. Ianto scooped Marena up and unceremoniously put her on Rosie, in front of Nathan. Kurt handed Nathan his spear. Sean picked up his spear and led Rosie away from the fire and the path. Ianto covered the fire with dirt, took his spear and hid away from the fire and the direction taken by Sean. Kurt crossed the path and hid. As the noise of Rosie left, everything became still. Except of the noise of the horses’ hooves.

They were not hearing individual hooves hitting the ground, this was a herd of animals coming this way. At night, thus they were not wild animals, unless they were being chased. Nothing chases animals that distance at night. Except fire. No smell of fire. No glow in the sky. The noise was louder. A group of men on horseback.

Ianto knew very few people take the time to catch a pregnant horse, wait for the foal to be weened, release the mare and raise the young. Even then it’s best to release those that are too wild or wait for the next generation or the generation after that, before attempting to ride a horse. And to have this many horses in one place? This must be Jonathan or Rick.

They came closer. Ianto laughed, Rick was doing his best to imitate a screaming owl. Jonathan did his signature call. Ianto returned the call with a cat’s call. Kurt did a high pitched wailing whistle. Then, Nathan and Sean’s calls were heard in the distance. Everyone headed for the path. The herd of horses slowed to a walk.

Rick carried a torch and rode up to Ianto, “How do you want to do this?”

“Set up a line of lights, each with an extra horse.”

“We have the far end set up.” Rick rode back to the group. Virtually the whole group left, half of them lit their torches from’s Rick’s. The three who stayed behind had riderless horses behind them. Ianto mounted. He ordered, “Marena.” 

Kurt asked, “Are you taking your spear?” Ianto replied by handing his spear over to him.

Rosie arrived. Marena turned her eyes away from the torches. Kurt appeared out of the dark. He pulled her down from Rosie’s back, “Worry not. Here’s Ianto.” He put her on the horse in front of Ianto.

Ianto hugged her to him. Close to her ear he said, “We are going to go to the boat. We are going to go fast. I’ve got you. You hold onto my shirt, or my belt.” She did. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

So fast. The movement of the horse’s neck. The sound of the hooves. The horse was making a noise. Over and over, the hunnnh, noise never stopped. Ianto’s breathing and leaning forward, she hunched down and held on. The horse went faster. The long hair of it’s neck whipped onto her face. Suddenly she started crying. There was a fire ahead of them. And then, the neck was out in front of them, Ianto was still in his movements. The up and down motions stopped. They were flying. They passed the fire. It was a torch held by a man on a horse.

They slowed, then the movements of the horse, the neck coming up to her face, all started again. There was another fire ahead of them. When they reached it. Ianto jumped down, and in one movement, mounted another horse. A man pulled her down and put her up in front of Ianto.

“Here we go.”

And again, the mad rush of movement. This horse was different. It was hot and sweaty. Her legs felt like they went straight out to her sides. She couldn’t grip with her legs at all. Then it happened again, the strange stillness. She was floating. Ianto was holding her. She laughed. She didn’t know it, but Ianto, was very happy to hear her laughter. They changed horses again and again. Each time the horse was wet with sweat. They were already leaping up, trying to go, before she got on!

The next horse was cold! From standing and waiting patiently. She saw many torches behind them, all the way down the path, torches bobbed as their riders followed them at a slower pace. Giving the horses time to recover.

This horse was thinner, she gripped with her legs. They went slowly into the darkness, the ride was very bumpy. She grabbed the neck hair to not fall off. Then the mad speed started again. Faster. She loved the stillness. She let go with her hands and held them out to the sides. It was a moment she’d never forget. And it was a moment Ianto would never forget.

Marena decided the ‘brunnah’ sound was the horse breathing. She never heard him breathing in and then out. Just one noise. He was breathing with every step. The faster his steps, the faster his breathing.

They changed horses again. They were also cold to the touch and started slowly. She felt on her face the water in the air. It was like it was raining without any rain falling down. She shivered and Ianto held her close to him. She shivered again.

He dismounted and looked up at her, “This is the last one.” He helped her down. She snuggled into him for warmth. He rubbed her back. “Look. The morning light. This is the last one. I don’t want you to freeze.”

With chattering teeth she asked, “What is freeze?” He kissed her forehead. He sighed, Marena was cold to the touch. The man holding the horses, unsure what was happening, waited. Ianto was the leader. If he didn’t know him by his looks the red words across his tunic told him. A rock hit Ianto in the head. He fell with Marena still in his arms. The man at the horse, surprised, was also hit with a rock. He stayed standing for a brief moment. Two more rocks hit him. When he fell he pulled the horses’ head down with him. The horse skittered around.

Marena was shocked. Someone picked her up. She was wrapped in an animal skin, then carried. Her abductor mounted the horse. It was warm inside. She yelled. She worried about Ianto. The man said something. She did not know his language, but his expression told her all she needed to know. She screamed. Then she screamed telepathically. She longed for Jerry to hear her. She struggled. The man laughed and gripped her tighter. She stopped struggling against the man. Then she thought about riding the horse. The rider has to be balanced. She threw her head down and away, her brought her feet up and pushed. Then she tried the opposite. She tried to hurt the horse, by kicking against him.

The man talked to someone behind her. She bent her waist, pushing, she came close to his upper arm. She heard in her head, “Bite him!” She bit him hard, and hung on.

The man responded with a fierce growl, baring his teeth. He grabbed her face and pushed her away. She struggled and let go. She was dropped. She landed face down. She rolled. She didn’t see the second horse’s hoof as it went over her head. She did see the rear hoof land right in front of her face. She rolled one way and then the other, until she was free of the skin. She got up and started running. She ran off the path and into the bushes. Shivering in the cold and with fright, she looked around in the grey light of dawn. There were more people on horses. She had a momentary happiness that Nathan, Kurt and Sean were already there to save her. Then, she saw their dress, it wasn’t them. She ducked down and crept into the bushes. They spoke a language she didn’t know. 

The men each lit a torch and rode their horses into the brush. One almost ran over her. She hugged herself to the bush’s skinny stem. The rider stopped, pointed at her and yelled. Marena ran and turned and turned again. They found her and cornered her with their horses. She ran under the belly of one of the horses. One man laughed. The rest sounded angry. They dismounted and chased her down. She tried to bite them, when they caught her. Two men each held her by an ankle and held her upside down. Screaming, she was carried back to the path. Someone behind her, tied her mouth open. They tied her arms together. They covered her eyes with something. They tied her legs together. And carried her sideways. She struggled and they laughed. No warm skin this time. They mounted and rode on the path, then turned onto a different path. The last path was wide and straight compared to this one. She heard bushes and branches swishing and breaking. At one point she was lifted up. And then lowered. Her arms hurt. The Horse kept turning and frequently walked. They went downhill. Then they went into a gallop. She worried she might fall.

Marena heard someone, telepathically. “Tell me what they say. The words they speak, will make no sense to you. I know what they are saying.”

She thought, “Okay. Jerry.”

“I am not Jerry.”

“Oh. Who are you?”

“I work with Jerry.”

“Oh, What is your name?”

Warren debated telling her his name. Jerry never heard him telepathically. Thus he did not believe he existed. As he thought of an explanation, Marena waited. The voice gave her no name. The men who took her, stopped speaking. Of course. Now. They are not saying anything. They were riding. “Before they said..” She tried to repeat the sounds she had heard earlier.

“They are upset. They are calling out each other’s names. Saying, ‘Hold her. Hold tight.’ And, ‘Tie her.’ I don’t know them. I don’t know where they are taking you. Keep listening.”

“Okay. Is Ianto dead?”

“Wait.”

What else can I do? I’m tied up and being carried on a horse. She smiled thinking, at least I’m not walking. “Ianto and the other men are chasing after you.” She started crying. Her nose stuffed up. The horse stopped and the gag was taken out of her mouth. They continued riding. She told the voice, “The air smells different. It tastes salty.”

“What do you hear?”

“The horses hooves. People talking. Not close to me.”

“Do you hear water?”

How do you hear water? She listened. “The ground is different. Like after it rains. We are in the water!” The horse splashed into the water, and swam a few minutes. Marena was splashed in the face and screamed in terror, that she was going to be drowned. She struggled and spit out the water. “Salt. The water is full of salt.” The horse found it’s footing and heaved itself up onto a shore. They continued moving over soft ground. Ground with grasses. “We stopped. They laid me on the ground. I’m afraid the horses will step on me. They are carrying me. Like. Like I am going up a steep hill. I am moving like I am on a big horse.” There were strange sounds with lots of quick orders.

She yelled out, “Ya. The ground is moving!”

“I think you are on a boat. Are they saying anything?” She repeated two words. They said, “Yambe and Faster.”

The more the boat moved, the more she felt ill. She vomited. Cold water was dumped on her. “Ahhh.” More cold water splashed on her face. She spat out the salty water. “I’m so cold.”

One of the men spoke. She thought he sounded very upset with her.

Another man spoke. Marena dutifully told the voice in her head what was said. “They said, “Don’t talk to her.” And “Sab. Sab is in charge of you.” Do not say the name out loud. They don’t know I can hear you.”

Angry that she was taken, still tied and blindfolded, she started ranting, “Now, I’m taken by people I don’t know. I don’t know why. I’m thirsty. I’m hungry. Freezing, this must be what Ianto meant. Freezing. I am freezing. I still feel sick.” She stopped talking, the ground moved, and she threw up again. It smelled horrible. She shut her mouth and the cold water doused her again.

Seth listened to the child. He thought they were treating her very badly. She threw up again. He said, “She’s never been on a boat before. Get her up and let her see where she’s going.” Seth shook his head, feeling stupid, he repeated himself in the sailor’s language.

Somebody else said something. Marena angrily relayed the sounds of the conversation. She was lifted upright and the mask on her eyes taken away. Blinking in the morning light she looked around. She was on a big boat. The voice said, “They hope you will no longer be sick. I don’t think they care about you. They don’t like the mess you make on their boat.” She looked at a tent in the sky.

After a long pause she was asked, “The water is blue?”

She nodded and replied telepathically, “Yes.” A man stared hard at her. She tried to look over the edge of the boat. The edge was wide. Too wide for her to see over.

The staring man came over to her and slapped her. She dropped to the floor. Her mouth was bleeding. She licked her lips.

Seth stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. When she looked up he said, “Don’t jump. Crocodiles eat people.” Then he added mater-of-factly, “Also, you don’t know how to swim.” He went back to doing something, then over his shoulder said, “And you’re tied up. Nobody can swim with their hands and feet tied.”

Dully she looked at the sail again. To the voice in her head she asked, “Why do they have a tent up in the air?”

“What color?”

“Brown and blue.”

“The bottom part is blue?”

“Yes.”

There was a long pause. “I know where you are. Stay on the boat. Wait.” She rocked herself onto her face, bobbed her head until she was sitting up on her shins. The staring man came over with his right hand raised ready to hit her again. She flinched. He laughed and went back to where he had been standing before. He no longer looked at her. Her eyes kept going to him. Then she saw the wrapping around his upper arm and realized he was probably the man she’d bitten and she wanted to bite him again.

All day they sailed. The men drank when they were thirsty. She watched the staring man, the translator, Seth, and the leader eating a meal with the rest of the crew. The other’s ignored her. Her arms ached. Her feet and ankles hurt and then went numb. She couldn’t feel her fingers anymore. She couldn’t think. She was dizzy. She started to sing.

The Captain waved to the translator, Seth. So, the young man went to the child and listened. He returned to the Captain and said, “It’s a children’s song. The four seasons. Four stages of life. Four directions.” He listened. “And the layout of her village.” Captain looked away. The translator finished his meal and returned to rowing.

Later when the sun had set, she was no longer singing, but it sounded like she was talking to someone. The Captain had been warned to note everything she said. He sent the translator over to her, again. Seth listened for quite a while. Captain saw young Seth’s serious expression and let him come right up to him.

“She is praying. She believes she is to be killed as a sacrifice. And hopes God finds her body to be a good body.” He paused, “Look at her face. There is no guile. She believes she will be sacrificed.” The Captain stared hard at Seth, to the point he nodded and returned to his paddle.

Captain was angry. He and his crew bought and sold spices between Africa and India. Now he was forced into taking a child to India. A child that needed a translator and another, Sab, who was in charge of getting her and to seeing to her safety. Three extra mouths to feed. He strode over to the child and lifted her. Her arms were cold. Dirt covered her, head to toe. Her lips looked blue and had a line of crusted blood below them, that dribbled down her neck. He didn’t care who these people were that wanted this child. He was Captain, and he was taking over. He made a face at the smell of vomit, as he stood up and pointed to a crewmen, “Untie her.” To the cook he ordered, “Feed her.” And to a third, “Clean her up. She looks like a dead fish and smells worse.” He moved out of the crew’s way. “She dies we get nothing.”

He returned to his post at the rear, and said in a manner that sent chills through the crew, “The penalty for her death will be our own.” The men’s eyes snapped open. This was a part of the contract of which they had been unaware. He looked at the bitten man. “You. Sab. When did she last drink?” Sab didn’t answer. “You took her. You’ve been with her the whole time.” Again Sab didn’t respond. The Captain looked at his crew. His voice became quiet, nobody moved, except the one washing the child’s face and another preparing food and tea, “You are not a member of my crew. I let you come aboard. I let you share in our profits. I let you, because you, claimed to know how to ride a horse, you knew the place and where to find the child. You claimed you had children. You had children and knew how to care for them. You knew how to get the child and bring her safely. Safely. To us.”

Captain had moved a little closer to the doomed man and now he laughed, “It’s a child’s fault that they took a bite out of you? She’s bleeding. Tied up! She looks like a dying slave. She’s cold, cold like death.” Everyone looked at her laying, unmoving. The man washing her face was the first oarsmen, Vafid. When he nodded yes, the crew accepted it as fact. Four men stepped forward and began rubbing her arms and legs.

The tea was now boiling, the cook added cold tea, put a lip to the rim of the clay cup, and passed it to Vafid. Vafid lifted her, crooning to her, and held the cup to her lips. At first there was no reaction. The tension among the men was like a line holding the sail, at the front edge of a storm. She swallowed. Their relief was like the sail now having no wind and falling slack. As a group they looked at the bitten man.

Sab, quailed in front of their gaze. He had listened to Seth!, the translator, not knowing what he said to the Captain. He was sure what Seth said, “privately”, was against him. He hated Seth. He was forced to take him, along with him because, “Seth knew her language”, and he was sure, that had nothing to do with it, at all. Seth was so educated. He must be someone’s son. Someone wealthy. His attempts to converse with Seth, trying to find out the name of his father, had failed. And they didn’t even know who the child was! Or why she was wanted and he wasn’t going to tell them. Now the Captain had led the entire crew to think it was his fault, if she died. He looked at their faces. Only after he looked at each man, individually, did they turn away and return to rowing.

At first he thought, she’s alive, we go and deliver her. Make some money. Then he looked at the Captain, and realized he would be blamed for any and all problems that arose. If the buyer had any complaints, he would bear the brunt of them. He was sure he might not even live to see the dawn. He rolled himself over the wide edge of the boat. Once in the water he kicked hard against it. Oars came down, end on, trying to hit him. One connected with his calf, he cried out, sputtering in the water and swam to shore. Captain asked his first mate to keep an eye on Sab, with a nod of his chin towards the swimming man.

Marena looked at the man holding her. Vafid smiled and offered her another drink. She worried for a moment that the drink was bad. Alarmed she sat up. The crew looked completely different from the last time she looked at any of the men on this bad boat. They were all sneaking glances at the man she hated. He was looking at someone behind her. She was then amazed! Sab went over the edge of the boat. She heard a noise she recognized immediately. It was the same sound made when they dropped large rocks in the river. She smiled. He was not coming back.

Vafid shared a look with Maiz, the Captain’s son, they liked her reaction. The two men’s happiness spread over the crew, like a cool breeze on a hot day. Cook offered her porridge to eat. She didn’t know what it was. Cook took the tiniest bite and offered her the wooden spoon.

Captain watched her eating while sitting in Vafid’s lap. He ordered the crew, “Increase speed. We’ve lost enough time.” The oarsmen put her down, smiling at her, he patted her leg and returned to his place at the front of the line. Captain then ordered Seth, “Tell her to sleep here,” he pointed next to himself, close to his feet. “She falls overboard, she is sure to drown.” His first mate, Arnav, caught his eye. “He made shore.”

Marena crawled into the bed Seth made for her, said her prayers and added, “Good night,” to the voice in her head.


	10. Aboard ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ship is named Tayir Saghir which means Little Bird. 
> 
> Captain is sailing with his son Maiz. Maiz is Arabic for “distinguisher”, one who distinguishes between good and bad, or between truth and falsehood.
> 
> The first mate is Arnav. His name means Ocean. 
> 
> Sailor Vafid’s name means Sky.
> 
> Seth, a passenger and translator is aboard to translate for Marena. His name means Anointed.
> 
> Sab, meaning Lion, was another passenger. He brought Marena aboard the ship against her will.

In the early light before dawn, the Captain of Tayir Saghir, waited for the translator to wake. He watched the grey horizon to the rear. One of his lines jerked. He pulled up a fish and placed it’s flopping body in the Cook’s basket. He rebaited his hook, and checked the horizon again. Three of his men rowed, despite the wind moving them along at a good speed. He worried about many things. His ship was overloaded with two extra oarsmen, Sab and Seth and then there was the girl. But, she weighed next to nothing. He was relieved Sab was gone. He wasn’t set up for ferrying people across the ocean. Not having enough water was causing him to pull into port more frequently than he would have liked. They were nearing one now. He had every one of his lines out, attempting to catch enough fish to feed everyone. He worried one of his lines might break. They were going too fast to use a net, also net’s required stopping to haul them aboard.

He checked the horizon again. He looked at the lines extending out into the inky black sea. Then again, he might loose a hook. He decided to pull in his lines. Carefully he wound them. He sent the lead oarsmen, Vafid, to lower the sail. His sailor’s knew the routine of pulling up along side the rocks, in this port. The first mate, Arnav helped with the sail. Arnav meant ocean. It was a very apt name for him, since he was an excellent sailor. 

The Captain held the end section of the sail, while the other two tied the sail to the boom. The boom was a new invention. It was both good and bad. Good because the wooden rod held the sail tighter than any man could, and bad, because being hit with it he was sure it was capable of killing a man. It was a problem to be dealt with during the rains. Seeing Vafid, reminded him of the way Vafid looked at the child as he held her in his arms. Vafid came from a family of women. What was the child’s name? When was the translator going to wake? He checked the horizon one last time. Because of Vafid’s obvious interest, he’d had the child sleep next to himself. He sighed. Every time she moved, she woke him. She kept putting her arms around him.

Captain looked at the Cook. His eyes were slitted open. Giving the Cook a meaningful stare he whispered quietly, “I go ashore, watch the child.” Cook blinked with the smallest of nods. He moved next to the sleeping child and stayed awake. Vafid watched the Captain leave. He knew better than to talk to Cook. Vafid and the rest of the awake men either slept or watched the shore.

Captain took Arnav with him. Both carried empty jugs and baskets lined with a whole animal’s stomach. They returned straining at their weight. The men loaded the water where Cook directed. Captain went looking for fruits, for the child.

It was too early, the only people awake sold spices or meat, or trinkets he didn’t need. At the last second, he saw a gold bracelet set, sized for a child. He stopped, thinking. What if nobody believed he’d abducted the child? But, that she was a passenger. One that liked him and his crew? Maybe if he and his crew treated the child well, they might not be killed? If they were caught!

Gold was very expensive. He had to discuss the price. The discussion was taking too long, they had to be away. He gave up and turned to walk away.

The seller was very astute at judging people. He saw a man buying something not because he needed to, but because he felt he had to, and not because he wanted to. People who feel they have to buy something, also, don’t have to buy something. He offered him a lower price. The Captain paid. The seller saw the Captain’s grim expression, as the man tucked the gold jewelry into his belt, he was right. This wasn’t a ‘want’, purchase. The first deal of the day was good for both of them. The salesman said a prayer of thanks.

Captain ran back to his ship. As he arrived, the first mate pulled away. Leaving the Captain to jump up on the wide edge. It was a maneuver they did, whenever the Captain wanted to be away in a hurry. Away from the ships at anchor, they raised the sail, and resumed their journey.

Once they were well away, the Captain went back to checking the horizon. The clouds glowed pink and white. He knew the sun would tip over the edge within minutes. He knew the men coming for the child were armed and battle hardened. His men were sailors, traders. Of course they were good in a fight. His fear was them being caught by the man they’d stolen the child from, Ianto. Ianto was a name he knew. Ianto was the leader of many men. He asked himself again, how did I get into this situation? It was almost as if he’d been chosen, before they approached him. But, why him? The fact that his ship had a boom, traveled to India once a year, and he’d been doing these trips since he was Marena’s age, never entered into his thoughts. If someone enlightened him, he would have scoffed. “There are many other’s like me.” He had one other quality. The Captain was at heart a kind man.

Cook had the water boiling and looked at him. He looked back. Cook poured and held out the cup. Coffee. He should’ve enjoyed it, but he kept looking to the rear horizon, thinking. He gave the cup back and walked towards the prow. “Accidentally” touching Seth along the way. He waited to make sure he was awake. “Seth. Cook made coffee.” Seth was not used to the ways of the Tayir Saghir yet, so Captain added, “Have some.” Seth sat drooped over. Cook poured the cup and walked over to Seth. Everyone awake watched cook and smiled, as they rowed. Finally, the Captain walked to the prow and waited. Seth sat up. Cook handed him the cup, nodded and returned to his place.

Seth sat and drank. Captain looked at the horizon, “Seth, come. Enjoy the morning sunrise.” He walked past Seth, back to the stern and checked the horizon. Seth followed. “It’s quite beautiful. Isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Said the sleepy man.

Vafid rolled his eyes and looked again at the sleeping girl. First mate looked at Vafid, it was his turn to row. Vafid turned to the front, straddled the edge and began rowing. The wind was moving them at a good speed. Was it faster than normal? No. About the same. Sure they had to tack, back and forth, because they were going north. He was sure they didn’t need to be manning the oars. Vafid knew his captain and rowed without complaint.

Captain began playing out a line. “Did you learn the name of the child?”

Seth looked at the clouds. “Yes. Sab said her name was Marena.”

“Marena.” They both thought it over. Her eyes, while brown had a feint green look to them. “Maybe her eye color? She has never seen the sea before.” Seth watched Captain make up his mind about what he wanted to talk about.

“Do you know anything else about her?”

“I know that the language she speaks, is from a small tribe. They live far inland.”

“Tell me about what happened.” Seth thought it over. “Between Sab and Marena.”

“Oh. He tied her up in that fur.” He half turned and pointed down at the child laying on a fur. Looking back at the view, he continued, “She let out a scream. It was muffled. Because of the fur. She struggled and got the best of him.” He pulled his lips into a smile and snapped his teeth together. “He dropped her.” Seth’s face showed his anger as he remembered the moment she’d fallen. “One of his men rode right over her. Either the fur saved her or the hooves missed.”

Seth drank the rest of the coffee and returned the cup to Cook. “Thank you.” Cook nodded.

Captain had little experience with horses. Usually they were in ‘high’ spirits. Either they were arriving or leaving at the shore. With their hooves hitting the ground like hail. He understood Seth’s anger at anyone being under a horse. He was playing out a second line when Seth returned.

Seth contemplated the water. “She got away from Sab. She ran into the darkness. Sab’s men lit torches and rode in after her.” He looked at the Captain. Captain finished with the line and looked at Seth. Seth said, “I think she has no fear of horses. I saw her run right under one horses’ belly.” He nodded as he said the words. “After that they tied her up. You saw. Oh, they tied her mouth. Until she was crying and couldn’t breath. Then Sab untied her mouth.” And then only after he’d given Sab a look, that he was being an ass.

“Did she say anything?” Captain started a third line fishing line.

Seth thought back. “We rode through water. Near the shore. She yelled, “Salt! The water is full of salt!” And when we got aboard, she yelled, “The ground is moving. Then she was sick.” Seth scratched his scalp. He stretched. “Ah.” Captain finished the line and looked at Seth, what else could there be?

“At the beginning, inland, Marena rode up on a horse with Ianto. The leader with the yellow hair.” Seth had been struck by Ianto’s look. His yellow hair shining in the fire light. His athletic build with the vertical stripes of his skirt. Oh, it was a zebra skin. That’s why Seth paused before throwing his rock. It was also why Seth didn’t throw to kill. That dolt, Sab missed. Sab’s men pelted the man waiting with the new horse. Seth wasn’t sure that man survived. Sab was quick to run in and snatch up the child. Like she was an object. Sab always wanted to be in the lead.

Captain watched Seth thinking and gave him time. He moved around to the starboard side and began on the fourth fishing line. Seth waited until he was done, he stood close to the Captain and cupped his hand near his mouth. Captain leaned in close. “I think Marena sleeps with Ianto.” Captain thoughts ran from, Ianto retrieving a child, to Ianto retrieving a child he loves. The bracelets! He felt afraid. His hair stood on end. Seth moved back to look Captain in the eye, then moved closer again. Captain listened raptly. “Because Ianto is a stallion who runs with stallions.” Seth moved back. “Which is how you talk to a child.” Captain froze. He was now doubly thankful he had the bracelets.

Captain mused, “The only person who hurt her was Sab.”

“Yes.”

“She cannot sleep next to me. Last night. She was passed out from exhaustion. Tonight. I have no one in my crew. I’m going to have to pick up a woman for her to sleep with.” More dead weight to feed? Irritated he put a hand on each hip. He was! Captain was reaching for the next line to play out, when he glanced at Seth. Seth had his eyes looking up at the sky. He returned Captain’s gaze and did a long blink. His features softened and he looked everywhere but at the Captain.

The Captain dropped his arms. He, he, well that solves that problem. Seth can sleep next to her. He turned away and curtly spoke loud enough for those awake to hear. “Move your bed. You sleep next to the child.”

Cook sitting next to them, was like the sun and the moon. He heard everything, said nothing and never seemed to look around. Yet he saw everyone and everything. He had mixed the batter and was frying bread on the thin rock above the flames. The finished bread sat next to the rock support, keeping warm. On the outside of the left hand support, sat a clay pot of rice, the fire warming the water gently. He rotated the pot. He was the only one who saw Vafid’s reaction to Seth moving his bed next to Marena. Cook wasn’t worried. He saw no hate or anger in Vafid.


	11. Warren, the first mate and cook.

Warren changed direction, again. He used everyone around him to reach Marena. He helped her and watched over her. He helped the rest of the group in their efforts to reach Marena. He had believed she was in Ianto’s care. And yet, he still raced to be with her. He was relieved, that he had kept going, because Ianto lost her! He stared cold and unseeing as he looked for her. As he talked to her.

——————————  
  


Marena slept. The sailors fearful she might be dead repeatedly asked Seth, or stared him down, to check on her. Captain decided nobody was concentrating on rowing and placed Seth next to Marena. 

Marena awoke the following night and looked up at the stars in the black sky. She sat up and made a mistake in thinking this night was the night before. Her bed was between Cook’s supplies and Seth. On the other side of Seth slept the Captain. The sound of oars moving caught her attention. The first mate looked at her. He approached Cook to wake him. Cook sat up and waved for her to come over to him. She kneeled properly. He poured out a cup. She drank it and smiled. She liked it. Cook moved things around. The fire was brighter.

Marena badly had to go to the bathroom. She stood and looked around nervously. The first mate looked at her quizzically. She crossed her hands in front of her crotch. He nodded. He helped her up onto the back of the ship. She saw a little board hanging out above the water. She couldn’t get on that and shook her head no. Cook said something.

“Ah,” said the first mate. He dug into the supplies next to the Captain, who awoke immediately. First mate spoke and Captain returned to sleep. The mate tied a rope around her waist, and stepped into a loop of the rope and held it at his waist. Cook took over, he smiled at Marena. He climbed the two wooden steps built into the reed ship. At the top he lowered his pants as he sat over the wood. When he was done he bent forwards while he pulled up his pants. He washed his hands in a pail, then returned to his spot. She climbed up and tried to do the same as the cook. The air was cold. She ran her fingers over the rope. First mate and Cook shared a smile. When she was done, she found the pot held warm, salty water with sand at the bottom. She scrubbed her hands, face, and arms up to her shoulders in the warm water. Cook gave her a little cup of clear water and a sponge. He made the motion of washing. She washed the salt off. First mate left her with the rope still around her waist. It was time to tack back. The boom swished, the ship creaked, and the sail made a loud crack.

Marena thought all the air in the world was suddenly in the sail, at the same time. The sound reminded her of a storm. She cowered and looked at Cook. He gave her a reassuring smile. Then took back the cup and sponge. She watched for a while as the light played off the men’s heads and backs as they rowed into the blackness. Their legs gripped the sides of the ship the same way Ianto gripped Rosie. She liked Rosie. The boat rocked up and over a large wave. She smiled. Riding the boat over the water was like riding the horse over the land. She looked up the mast and wondered if being way up there would be the same as being up on Rosie. Or up on Ianto’s shoulders.

Cook rapped a wooden spoon against a cup. When she looked, he handed them to her. She smiled and nodded. She had never before eaten anything like the runny rice porridge with nuts and pieces of dried fruit. She played with the fruit between her teeth. She knew they were not raisins or dates. She liked them. When she was done, Cook motioned to the mate. The first mate untied the rope. Marena went back to sleep and woke when it was full daylight.


	12. Mr. fish.

Everything about the boat now seemed interesting to Marena. She asked Seth many questions everytime it was his turn to take a break from rowing. He smiled and took his time in answering.

He decided to teach her in Arabic. Suddenly he changed his thinking and chose Latin. Being a language few knew, would keep their conversations private. For those words he didn’t know in Latin he used Arabic. The first thing he explained was the difference between a boat and a ship. Ships ship people or things. This ship, ships spices. Marena smiled. Seth smiled, “This ship, ships spicy spices.” She liked the play of the words. Later she repeated the sentence to herself.

Seth started naming all the parts of the ship. The crew relaxed, since they now knew the subject of their conversation. Then he told her, “These words are in Arabic, since I don’t know them in your language.” In fact, he wasn’t sure her language had these words.

Marena thought it over. She knew no one in her family, her village, or even her tribe had ever been on a boat or on such water. Water that seemed to go on and on. Like the grasses, I walked and walked and there was still more grass! And they had never been on a horse before! Had they even seen one?

“I will explain how the boat works.” Seth asked Cook to show them his pot of water. “We never touch any of cook’s things. Nothing. Not the pot.” He pointed, “Not the fire.” He pointed behind the cook, “And never touch the food stuffs. They throw people out. If they do.” He looked very serious. She nodded sagely. Seth explained to Cook what he wanted. Cook replied with a shrug, and a small smile.

“This pot has water.” He looked around, pointing, “All around us, water.” She nodded. “Cook has a cup,” He nodded to cook and cook placed the clean cup in the pot. “Do you see? The cup floats.” She nodded. “The ship is floating.” He looked at her with a question on his face.

“The cup floats. And the ship floats.”

“Yes.” He waved his finger tips, “Do you see this seed?” Cook held up a bean and put it in the cup. “That is the Captain,” again he waved, Cook added a bean, “That’s Cook,” and the next bean, “That’s you.” Cook placed beans into the cup. When it was almost full, it sank. Cook fished it out, strained out the water and dumped the beans onto his work board. She looked at the pile of beans.

“What do you think?”

“The ship,” she looked around, “can have many people and not sink.”

“That is true. And yet,” he moved her away from Cook’s work space, “we have too many people.”

She looked aghast at him, “How? There is so much room?”

“Is there? Is there lots of room?”

She looked at cook’s bags and things, “Why does cook have so many things?”

“People need two things, when they are at sea. Food and water. Mostly water.” He let her think and look at the water bags. “The Captain helps.” She spun around and looked at the Captain. Seth said something, she looked over at him like he was teasing her. “It’s true. Look.”

Marena turned back to the Captain. Captain smiled and pulled up a thin rope a few inches and let it back down. It was attached to the bottom, by a stick, near to his feet. The rope went up and over the side. Seth curled his finger around in a J shape. “There is a strong, sharp thorn on the other end. Cook opens the fish, takes out it’s guts. The part we don’t eat. He gives them to Captain. Captain stabs the thorn into the guts. Then lowers the thorn into the water.

When the fish smells the delicious food and tries to eat it, the thorn is stuck in his mouth. Captain pulls him up out of the water and Cook makes dinner for us.”

She thought over Seth’s story. “I can’t wait to see a fish.” Seth told the crew what had been said, as he returned to rowing.

Maiz asked, “Hasn’t she seen a fish before?” Surprise flashed over everyone’s face. Then the laughter started. Then it faded and started up again. “I have never met anyone who has never eaten or heard of fish.”

Marena watched the men pushing or pulling the paddles. She wondered again why they were doing it, liked that they were laughing, even though she had no idea why they laughed.

Captain called out something and said Seth’s name. Seth turned to her and yelled, “Lay down now!” She slid down. And stayed there watching. The tent sail swung past everyone. Just like last night! Marena was not worried. All the men lowered down out of the way. The boat rocked, and she held on.She watched. Seth turned back to her, “Okay.” She stood up. The boat was now tilted slightly to the other side. Just like last night.

Marena was fascinated with the fish the Captain caught. She hugged herself and danced around, her attentions fixated on the animal. She talked non-stop, to the point Seth gave up attempting to translate. They got the idea. Cook seemed to enjoy her enjoyment of the fish. He told Sean, “It is okay, if she wants to touch it.” When told she may touch the animal her hands went straight up in the air, with more little hops up and down.

When she calmed down the fish flopped. She jumped back into Seth. He said, “Yes, it is alive.” She tore her eyes away and looked up at him. “For now. Cook is about to make him our dinner.” Seth returned to rowing. Marena’s enjoyment flipped to worry then acceptance in the space of the fish flopping.

Cook laughed, “Touch now.” She got the idea and reached out one finger. Her mouth opened in wonder at the smoothness in one direction and hard pointiness of the scales in the other direction. Cook lopped off the tail and handed it to her. She cradled the tail over her two hands and missed the execution of the fish.

Cook gutted the fish and gave them to the Captain. Captain decided which to keep as bait and which to toss over the edge. He rebaited his hook. Seth and the crew rowed. Marena held the tail running her fingers over it and spreading it out into a fan shape. She started to sing a song to the fish.

Maiz asked what the child was singing. Seth told them, “She is singing to the fish. Thanking him for feeding us. He is a good, beautiful fish.”

Maiz asked, “What is the child’s name?”

Without breaking stride in his rowing, Seth looked at Maiz on the other side of the ship, “I don’t know. Sab said it was Marena.” All the men made the motion of a spit to the side. Seth asked Marena, “Marena, what name are you giving the fish?”

Marena was stumped. She watched Cook placing the fish on a large, thin, flat rock above the fire. The fire was now a rectangle three times as wide as before, to accommodate the large fish. “Ihiti.”

“Ihiti?”

“Mister Fish.”

Cook covered a large flat plate with a mound of rice in the middle and had peeled the skin back from the fish, freeing the white meat from the inside. Captain said something. Seth said to everyone, “In honor of this being the first fish you are ever eating, Marena, he wants you to have this tasty piece.” He pointed to the head. “This is called the cheek.” He took a bite sized piece of bread and used it to scoop out the cheek, then smooshed in a bit of the rice and handed it to her saying,”This is how we eat it.” It was obvious she liked it. Everyone enjoyed watching her eat it.Maiz kept shaking his head. Wondering again, how is it someone has never eaten fish before?

The flavor of the spices were strange and new to her. “Thank you.” She said trying to be demure. Then she found out about the bones of the fish. With delight she kept playing with one of Ihiti Fish’s ribs. “Everything about the fish is bendy.”

Seth laughed, “Mister Fish has teeth.”

“He has teeth?”

“Marena. I think all animals have teeth.” With a smile he added, “Maybe not birds.” After they ate she spent lots of time examining the carcass. Opening and shutting the mouth she carried on a conversation with Mister Fish. Seth was the only one who heard the story of Marena leaving her family and the long trip that ended with her being on a ship, eating fish with strangers. He rowed harder than normal as he concentrated on listening to Marena. He found her unbelievably smart in making the circle and didn’t understand how making the circle allowed her to be found. Her finding a dead man gave him pause. The most shocking part of her story was her and Ianto fighting off a pack of animals.

Her sorrow at being removed from Ianto, led him to feel both guilty and relieved, because Sab was such a bad shot, he’d thrown his own rock to injure and not to kill. Seth came to the conclusion Marena had to deal with being alone, all throughout her life. He decided that while he was with her, he was going to be her teacher. He later told the Captain what subjects he intended to teach the child, as a way of keeping her occupied and out of everyone’s way. Captain gave a curt nod and returned to watching the wind and the currents.

Seth began by teaching Marena to count. The lessons continued as he rowed. She learned to count by tens, and twenties. Then he stared to teach her the alphabet. This was some new learning for the whole crew.

After being ashore, again restocking their water supply, Captain brought out a tray after dinner. Soberly he said, “Marena you have done well at your studies. This is for you.” Her eyes went round as he passed it over to her. Seth translated.

“Thank you. Captain.” She admired the work of carving the wood. She had no idea what to do with it but, it was one of very few gifts she’d ever recieved. The men watched her looking at it. To them she seemed transfixed. She hugged it to herself, running her fingertips across and down the carved edges.

Captain thought it barely big enough when he bought it. In her arms the tray seemed too large. Her obvious happiness made him feel good about the purchase. He was glad Seth had given him the idea. He wanted to gift Marena the gold bracelets and had decided to wait until they reached the North. At that time most of the crew would stay ashore, especially the three new crewmen. They would no longer be aboard to see him give her such an expensive present. He worried Ianto might catch up to them, before he gave them to her.

Captain looked at Cook. Seth said, “Show Cook your beautiful tray.” She did.

Cook admired the carving around the edges, “This tray is beautiful. Too beautiful for cooking or using to serve food. These are very interesting.” He suddenly looked at her with the surprise of an idea. “Here.” He poured out a small amount of floured rice. Just a small handful and laid it on the tray. Then he drew a finger across the dust.

Seth translated and said, “What a fantastic thing you’ve done Cook.” He looked amazed. “Now Marena can practice making the numbers as she counts them.” They loved watching her work through these ideas. The two of them sat, hunched over the tray, making lines and counting. So engrossed were they the sun set and still they peered in the light of the Cook’s fire, as they made their numbers. Cook watched and listened, and learned.

Marena practiced seemingly day and night at her tray. Carefully she moved all the flour into one corner and covered it with her belt, tied around the tray. She now wore her belt as boys do, on the outside of her top. Then she slept. Every morning she untied it, put it on and began practicing again. When she grew bored she looked over the edge of the ship. Seth explained tacking. How the ship goes forward by going back and forth. She responded with, “The wind is very forceful and always gets it’s way.”

In port Marena was very interested to see everything. The people dressed very differently. They cut the skins into long shapes that hung down almost to the ground. They colored the pelts into many different colors. Some had many beads around their necks and wrists. But mostly she noticed most of them had skin that was more brown than black. Marena hoped she might one day see someone with skin the same color as her own. She liked that most of the women had very straight hair like her’s. She was happy. Then someone on shore was looking at her. Then another and another. She sat down and hid behind the edge of the ship and became engrossed in her tray. Seth noticed and sat besides her. He began explaining tides and currents and ended by saying, “The water always goes it’s way.” She smiled. Tides seemed confusing to her.


	13. Bracelets and family.

Two weeks went by, since Marena first boarded the ship with Seth. They passed the most northern part of the waters and turned, first east and continuing to hug the land, they now moved in a southeast direction as they followed the Indian coastline. On reaching a large river and city, most of the crew left. In the beginning they traveled with eleven. Sab left. As did Babr. Both of their own free will. The first mate reported to the Captain on his return, “Babr went ashore with his bed and looked back.” Captain gave Babr’s leaving no more thought. If Babr left without his bed and didn’t look back, he might have thought Babr was taken. By looking back, Captain knew Babr left willingly. They were now down to the Captain and his son Maiz, Arnav, Vafid, Cook and the two passengers.

At high tide Captain had the ship hug up close to the shore of the river’s mouth, pointing straight into the land. The men began filling the jugs and baskets with fresh river water. They stowed them in the prow of the ship. Cook moved and sorted his stuff into the prow. He cleaned as much as one can clean a reed boat. He threw the woven mats over board. Maiz and Vafid cleaned them and held them up to Cook. He laid them over the edges to dry. 

As the tide went out, the bottom of the ship drained of water. Marena liked the popping and gurgling sounds. Seth warned her to stay aboard. Cook said something. Seth nodded. Marena wondered why Seth was tense. He explained, “To wash your clothes. Take them off and wear your bed over you. Cook will give them to me. Seth lowered himself over the side. She took off her clothes, except for her belt and held them out for Cook. She waited and looked out from under her furry bed. This place has a warm and wet feeling. Like a fog without any fog. Cook was swishing her clothes thru the air. Hard. The spray of water formed a sparkling trail in the air. She giggled. Cook laid the top and pants over the edge of the ship. At first they laid there, then a fine steam rose. He flipped them over. She thought he forgot about her, hiding down here. She opened her eyes, her shirt was waving in front of her. She reached out and took it. Then he was gone. She looked out. He was gone! She was all alone. She dressed quickly. The clothes were still a little damp and cold. She danced around in the large now empty space. Alone, alone! And looked over the edge. Cook was in the water washing. Seth looked up at her. They grinned at each other. She leaned over the edge and looked out over the ocean. It sparkled. The sunlight seemed to make everything pretty. The Captain and crew swam or played in the fresh water. She wondered how they did that, be in the water and not die? Suddenly she heard someone talking to her.

“Marena.”

“Jerry is that you?”

“Stay out of the water.”

“I am.”

“Animals in the water are large enough to eat people.” Surprised and afraid she watched Maiz and Vafid splash each other. Expecting any moment some giant fish to engulf one of them and they’d be gone forever. Marena watched intently waiting for them to come out of the water.

Later they sunned themselves on the now dry sand. Unaware of Marena’s relief. She kept looking at all the plants growing along the coast. As the tide came in everyone reboarded. Cook moved the mats in place, then his supplies to the rear of the ship. Then the water was moved aft. The ship began to float. They now rode high in the water and traveled in the same direction as the northern wind. The ship now moved at twice the speed as before. The men no longer rowed.

When the excitement of the stop at the river died down, and Marena stopped watching the view of the shore go by, Captain asked her, “Marena. I hear you have learned to count. Can you count from one to a hundred?”

She solemnly replied, “Yes.” The men waited. She began counting. When she was done, they all nodded and smiled.

Captain said, “That was well done. Congratulations to your teacher for teaching you. And congratulations to you, for learning to count. These are for you, Marena.” He held out the gold bracelets to her.

Marena was as surprised as the rest of the men. She said, “Oh,” Several times and clapped her hands. They smiled and waited. She shyly held out her arm. Captain placed first the bracelet on her right and then her left wrist. Captain’s relief at finally giving them to her, caused him to laugh.

Vafid watched her hands and arms rotating the bracelets around. He said quietly, “Those bracelets are beautiful.” The men looked at the Captain. Captain gave a small nod to Vafid.

Maiz wondered at the expense. “A most generous gift.”

Vafid continued, “The leather on her beads look very old. May I pay for some white horse hair, for her beads?”

Maiz added, “That sounds like a good idea. The beautiful gold with white next to it. Instead of that old dried up piece of leather.”

Captain thought it over. What was the possibility of white hair being available to buy at their next stop? He nodded yes to Vafid, with enough of a smile to let Vafid know that he meant to make the purchase. Vafid was always ready to sail, every trip, every year. Vafid was also the strongest rower of the crew. Captain added, “Come with me. We stop in Camba.” He laughed, “Camba has everything a man could want.” Vafid had never before gone ashore with Captain. A confidence spread over Vafid, he was no longer hired to be in the crew but, was now a member of Captain’s crew.

Seth asked, “What kind of rock do you think the beads are?”

Captain said with authority, “Seashells. Hard and red, the kind called coral. Everything about this child seems that she was destined to be with us. Her name, her beads, her love of the water. She is always looking at it.”

Cook rarely spoke, so they all noticed when he said, “She has no fear of the water. Get the horse hair and I will clean the beads.”

First mate added, nodding for acceptance from the Captain, “I will braid new bracelets.” They all knew he was the best of them at braiding. Everyone agreed.

At Camba they filled their water carriers. Captain went ashore with Vafid. They bought long white horsehair, and a few new vegetables to surprise Marena. Vafid was enthralled by all the things available. The agate rocks amazed him. He bought four of the precious stones drilled with holes. Two for his mother and one for each of his sisters.

Marena had never seen such a large city! She hung over the edge of the ship. When the crew was done loading fresh water they joined her. Seth helped her up and she sat on the edge. Everything about Camba was shockingly different to her.Buildings made of rock! They stood so tall! Plants were everywhere. Everything was green, just like back home. The plants were different. The people were everywhere. Boats went back and forth. She saw her first elephant. And watched it for twenty minutes.

Seth explained, “This must be an elephant. I have never seen one before. Look, look! A man is riding the elephant.” The animal blew water into the air.

Marena was stunned. “The man. He looks so small.”

Captain and Vafid returned to find all four of them sitting up on the edge watching and talking about the city. Vafid was happy that Marena was happy and hoped she like his gift. Captain was also happy, she was happy.

They continued their journey south. Captain kept a close watch, until they were free of the choppy waters caused by the river meeting the ocean. Cook beckoned to Marena. “Vafid has a present for you.” She turned to Vafid. 

Vafid seriously held out the clump of horse hair. “These red beads you wear are pretty. Too pretty for these old strips of leather. Would you like to have new straps made from this white horse hair?”

”Yes.” Vafid smiled at her reaction. “Arnav is good at braiding.” She turned toward Arnav. He smiled. Vafid continued, “Cook has a blade he will cut the old straps.

She returned to Cook. She held out one hand. Carefully he cut the leather straps of her bracelets. He soaked and rubbed at the beads until they returned to their original color, a bright clear red. Then he took a little scrap of leather and showed her how to fold the beads inside. She tucked it into her belt.

Arnav used one of Marena’s long hairs to anchor the ends of the horse hair. Then he began to weave the white hair into bracelets. Marena watched intently over his shoulder. Vafid watched Marena. Captain watched where they were going. Sometimes she leaned one hand against Arnav’s shoulder. Seth thought, pushy waves and determined wind. He kept an eye on Vafid. 

Arnav was ready for the bead. Carefully she placed one in his hand. He threaded the bead onto the clump of hair and continued to braid. When the length was right he placed her wrist over his work. Bringing together the two ends he then spent some time intertwining them together. When he was done he motioned towards Cook. “Have Cook remove the ends of the hairs that stuck out.” Arnav began to weave the second bracelet. When they were both done Marena hugged Vafid, “Thank you, Vafid. This is the fourth present, I have ever been given. I like them.” Seth started to translate. Even though many of the words she used were Arabic.

“You’re welcome.”

Vafid reluctantly let her go as she went to Arnav. “Thank you for making these for me.”

“You are welcome.”

Marena felt a little awkward. She smiled and tried to think of something to say to the men. Amused, they calmly waited.

”Your name.”

“Arnav.”

“Yes, Arnav. That’s a very nice name. Does it have a meaning?”

“Thank you. Yes it does. Arnav means ocean.” He held a hand to Vafid, “Vafid, means sky.”

Marena’s eyes lit up, “The sky and the ocean!” She looked back and forth between them.

Seth stopped translating when Arnav spoke to Vafid, “I never thought of it that way before.”

“Nor I.”

Marena returned to Cook.

“Call me Cook.”

Seth said, “His name is Cook.”

“Yes, Cook. Thank you for cleaning my beads. They are now so pretty.”

Seth again translated, “She likes them. And thanks you for cleaning them.”

“You are welcome.” They all smiled at each other.

Captain changed the subject. “Our next stop is Goa. After that is Kochi. The sailors knew both cities. Because Marena and Seth did not, he explained, “Kochi is where we buy spices. And then we head for home. Kochi is where Marena’s family are waiting for her.” The men became lost in thought. Thinking about life without Marena.

Seth did not translate all the Captain’s words and instead he said, “We go to Goa and then Kochi.” Then he distracted Marena. “Shall we practice?” 

‘Yes, please.”

As she practiced her eyes kept straying to the new bracelets. Everyone noticed. 

They sailed faster going south, than going north. Distances that took a week or more going north, now took two or three days going south. Marena became accustomed to the sounds coming out of the forest and to passing ships headed north. At first she’d watched intently. Then gave up, they were too hard to see, since they were tacking. At times Captain lowered the sail, to keep them from moving too fast andbreaking up the ship.

They reached Goa. They lowered the sail and oared up the river. Many ships crowded the port. Captain was readying to go ashore. He again decided to take Vafid with him. The shore was crowded with people. As they walked he brought up Marena’s bracelets. “That was good of you Vafid. And you were right. Gold and white look good together.” Vafid nodded. To have his Captain’s approval meant a great deal to Vafid. He no longer worried that Captain thought he was competing with him. They began to fill the water skins. 

Later, Captain and Vafid returned to the ship. Cook, Arnav, and Maiz stood in a row, waiting for them. Captain understood their expression immediately. He was shocked, “No!”

Vafid cried out. He ran to the ship and looked. Marena and her things were gone. Seth was also gone. He completely ignored the new packages and bales aboard ship. “What happened? Where is she?”

Arnav answered Captain’s unasked question, “They came. Her family. They paid.”

Captain whirled around to look. The piles and bales he’d passed on shore, when he first arrived, we’re now on his ship. Thinking they were for someone else, he’d overlooked them. Curtly he gave the order, “Make sail.” Once they were well away he asked Arnav, “Tell us what happened.”

“They waited for you to be out of hearing, then three men and a woman came. They spoke to Marena. In her language. She collected her things. They spoke again and Marena left her sleeping fur. Seth went with her. And they, I think, they told Seth to stay. And then Marena spoke. You should have heard her voice! Clearly she was ordering them. They nodded and Seth went with her. Then, other men, porters, came and loaded the goods. They were polite and asked where each item was to be placed. Then they were done.”

Vafid and Maiz’s shoulders slumped. “Marena was gone.”

Captain observed, “The loading was a distraction.”

Maiz butted in, “I saw. First mate had the loading. So I watched. They took Marena and boarded another boat. Not a ship. Not a sailing vessel. A river boat. With eight oars and no sail. They went up river.

Captain inspected the packages. There was more of the spices than they had promised him. They were crammed in around the sides and where Marena and Seth had slept. He found Marena’s fur. “They took the coffee?” Trading coffee for spices was profitable.

“Half.” Replied first mate.

With half the coffee gone and more spices aboard then he would normally be given for the coffee, and with Marena gone, his heart was no longer in trading. “There is no reason for going to Kochi.” Angrily he changed course, to northwest. When he calmed down he stated, “They over paid us.” He and his crew sailed without rowing. The only reason to hurry was the coming rains. Which were not for another month, more or less. Arnav, Maiz and Vafid sat without talking or even thinking. Arnav being first mate, began to row. Vafid and Maiz joined him. Captain took every advantage of the wind and tacked back to the northeast. He tacked again and again.

Captain took a long look at the two boats rowing towards him. He was right. One of them had to be Ianto. They rowed like sailors. And they rowed like soldiers. He debated, should he have Cook put out the fire, and keep them from possibly burning up his ship? Or, should he make tea? And great them as guests. Why not both? He barked, “Make tea. Put out the embers.” He watched the boats coming closer, “Lower the sail.” Vafid jumped to it. Captain and Maiz helped to tie it in place. “Oar on starboard.” When they were almost running even with the shore he ordered, “Halt.” If they did burn up his ship, they should be able to swim to shore.

Ianto caught up with them. They came in two, four man, shore boats. Similar to the river boat that took Marena. A little longer and thinner, allowing each man to paddle on both sides, and have room to hold their food and water under and in front of them. Sean sat in the rear with Ianto, then Rick and Jonathan in the seats ahead of him. Kurt took the rear of the second boat with a local in the front seat. In between them sat two hired sailors.

They boarded and took over. Ianto was the only man without a weapon. He said something in one language, then another. The second they understood. “Where is Marena?”

Captain noticed the lack of greetings. “Her family came for her.”

“Where?”

“Goa.”

“They gave their names?”

“No. They gave me no names. Sab. Sab was the go-between. He knew their names.”

“You saw them take her.”

“Maiz. My son saw. They waited until.” Ianto turned away. Sean had one arm around Maiz’s shoulders.

Kurt helped the local man aboard and had the two sailors shift forward. He returned to his place, standing.

Sean softly whispered to Maiz, “Get your gear.”

Maiz was strong enough to not quake under Ianto’s stare. He quickly gathered up his things, stared hard at his father and went down into Kurt’s hands. Ianto was already in his seat, waiting for Sean, as Kurt pulled away. Rick and Jonathan shared a look, because Kurt left before Ianto. They would have laughed but Ianto was right behind them and Marena was gone.

Sean looked at the Captain, thinking. He pointed to the local man, “You sail with them to the Gulf of Ketch. Transport will be waiting for you.” He looked at the Captain, “Head for home.” Sean heard Ianto exhale. “Your son will be waiting for you.” He leaped over the edge and held on softening his landing. Ianto had them moving before Sean sat.

The local man looked at the Captain. Captain ordered, “Raise sail.” Arnav, Vafid, and the new guy untied the sail. Vafid raised it up. Captain was handing Marena’s sleeping fur to the new guy. Vafid pulled it out of the man’s hand. As he retrieved his own, he sniffed Marena’s, and gave his pelt to the new guy. Vafid’s pelt was longer and older. First Mate decided where to put him, in the prow area, and shifted packages. Cook built up his fire. He offered the men tea.

They ate their evening meal. No one spoke. The next day they tacked back and forth. Captain tacked out farther from the shore than usual to go with the current of a river dumping into the ocean. They ate late in the day. Again nobody spoke. Finally the new guy said, “They are strange men. They have strange ways. And they use words. Strangely. What they say. Happens. I know. Sean said there would be someone waiting for me at Ketch. And I know when I return home, my payment will be there. I know your son will be home. Waiting for you.”

His words eased the Captain’s tension. The crew relaxed. But, not enough to resume talking in front of the “local”. They never asked him his name. As they neared Ketch a ship waited for him. By way of saying goodbye, he said, “Part of me wants to be with them. I know if I had gone, I would never see my family again. It may be that way with your son.”


	14. Maiz and Ianto.

Maiz wondered at the speed the men rowed. How could they keep up this pace? They passed a northbound ship, far to their starboard. Then another to the port. At the third ship they slowed and pulled alongside. Two men from each boat exchanged out, with men from the ship. Water was loaded and hot food was handed down.

Maiz called out, “Give me an oar.” Nobody looked surprised. An oar was handed down to him. Than a package of food and another of water. Maiz ate and drank. The boats pulled away. He waited for the rhythm, than began rowing. He knew the pace was quick too quick for him. He stopped and rested more frequently than the other men.

He pointed with his oar. They smoothly made the turn. They split apart to go around another ship, rather than slow. He pointed again. And now he didn’t know. The two boats slowed and put him next to Ianto. “I don’t know where they went after this.” The other men drank and ate.

“Look for them.” He looked carefully at each boat.

“These are all too close. They will be much farther away.”

When next he looked at Ianto, he was smiling like his father. As when he was unaware of the obvious. Ianto asked while pointing at a boat, “Why not this one?”

“Too narrow. Two short. It had eight oars.” Ianto knocked his oar against the railing, a double tap. The pace picked up. Again the fast pace. Just as suddenly they stopped and coasted. Maiz turned and looked at Ianto and the other men. Were they talking? A rest? He wanted to ask what was going on, caught himself, and studied the shores. The hubbub of boats, loading and unloading were far to the rear. The quiet of the forest animals took over. Animals he’d never heard before. He wasn’t sure what they were. A high pitched screaming sound was maybe a bird? Someone being beaten? No, couldn’t be. The call repeated and stopped. Before the boats coasted to a stop, the pace started again. Maiz paddled. They came to a fork and took the left hand, without asking him. He wondered how they knew. Maybe that was their way, when searching.


	15. Marena writes her name.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marena and Seth are carried to The Other’s house. Ameya returns Marena’s tray to her.

Seth watched Marena go from anger and nervous stress, to calmly trying to peak thru the slats that covered the windows. Calmly she looked at him. “You can feel the motion of the people carrying us. There are four. One there and there and there and there,” pointing to each corner of the little room. Sometimes she seemed so grown up and other times she was a child again. She sat first cross-legged, then laid down, came up and tried to stand, bent over and then knelt looking out the slats again.

“Did you like riding in the boat?”

The thousands of birds at the mouth of the river banks, flashed across her thoughts. Her fears took over, “It was small.” She fidgeted and flipped a pillow upside down, “These are strange,” and ended up cross-legged facing him.

“I think they are for sitting on.”

Seth was sitting on one of the pillows. Marena blushed. She moved onto her pillow, “There are animals in the water that eat people.”

“Yes. There are crocodiles back home. I’ve been told they live here. Also. If I had seen one, I would have shown you.”

“Thank you.”

Seth wanted to tell Marena his fears and he didn’t want to frighten her, “This feels wrong to me. They didn’t give their names. They wear nice clothes. It takes time to make the thread, and to color it. Then attach it to the leather. Also, I’m not sure it is leather. If not. I don’t know what they used to make them.” They rode in the wooden box, in silence, for a while. Seth waited to hear Marena’s thoughts.

Marena kept trying to peek out. “I wish I had my board. I wish I could see outside.” They stopped. Someone flipped the slats of one window, with a crack. Marena and Seth both flinched. The wooden boards were now flipped sideways. The woman waited for the door to be opened and handed in Marena and Seth’s few belongings.

“My name is Ameya.” She soberly added, “I am not a member of your family,” and shut the door. A moment later they continued through the forest.

The time seemed long. Marena’s tray had no flour. So, they brushed the dirt from their shoes over it. Seth had Marena do the alphabet twice. “The alphabet is used to form the words we say, into words written down. Most people.” Seth shook his head, “never use this. Most have never seen it. If I wrote down your name. Most people would never see it. To them it looks like I am playing. Running my finger over your tray, through the dirt.”

“You can write my name?”

“You can write your name. He said her name slowly. What is the first letter going to be?”

Marena said her name, “Marena. M.”

“Write down M.” She did. “Some letters have more than one sound. The letter A. Also has an ah, sound. As in Ma. Marena.”

“So. Ma-rena. Is M a.”

“Yes. The next two letters, sound like three. Re, have a RHE sound. Do you hear it?”

She nodded as she wrote the R and E. “Can you do the last two letters?”

She sounded out her name, “N. A.” He smiled. A big wide smile. He pointed to the tray. She wrote them down.

“That is your name. Written down. For anyone who knows how to read.” She looked at it for a while. She traced her finger over the letters several times.

“How do you write Seth?”

“S. E. T. H.” Strangely the E almost sounds like an A. The t and the h are stuck to each other, for writhing the th sound.” She repeated Seth as she wrote the letters.

Every language has it’s own alphabet.”

“They do?”

“Yes.” He grinned again.

“How do you write Ianto?” Seth laughed and laughed. “What? Why? What is funny?”

“Ianto.” He reached for her board, she gave it to him. He wrote letters over and over and kept changing the letters. As he worked out how the name must be spelled he couldn’t help but remember that night. The flaming torch the horse waiting. Ianto, yellow hair blazing with the light of fire, riding in with the child in front of him. The athletic manner that he dismounted with his stripped skirt swinging. His arms and torso! As he reached for the child. Finally, he gave the tray back. “The name Ianto. Ah. It is from a place a very, very long way from here. Far to the north.”

She watched him, smiling at her. And then she knew, Seth liked Ianto. She thought of the only time Seth might have seen Ianto, was when. Oh. When Sab took her. Was Seth there? Maybe Seth knew Ianto, from before?

“Ianto. Has a spelling that is from another language.”

Marena’s thoughts went from wondering about Seth to wondering about Ianto. She looked down at the tray, “Ya. Yan, it begins with a y letter. Not an I.” Seth’s eyes crinkled up in glee.

“Yes.” He giggled. “I’ve always heard Ianto was from the islands. And looking at his name.” He shrugged a happy grin, “It’s true.” He giggled again, “Some spell that sound with a J. The spelling is whatever people want it to be. You speak first. The writing does it’s best to keep up.”

Slowly she asked, “Where are the islands?”

Seth kept giggling, “At the other end of the world.”


	16. This is my family?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Others attempt to return Seth to the shore. Marena stops them and the two enter the house. The many people inside do not give their names. Warren arrives.

They stopped. The house was the largest Marena had ever seen. She was taken to a room on the second floor! Stairs! She was given a clay cup. The drink was a fruit’s juice, without the fruit! She ate dates and dried meats and slept on the bed. It was thick! She cried out in alarm as she awoke to a dream of Seth being stabbed in the chest and dying. She ran to the hole in the wall. Which was covered with more of the slating type of covering. Pushing and pulling, it fell over. Outside, looking down was the box to carry people. Seth walked towards it surrounded by men with spears. Marena screamed. He stopped and looked up at her. He entered the box. She found a way to climb down. Yelling, “Stop. Seth stays here. He stays with me.” The box returned.

The men rushed over to her, catching her in her fall. They put her to the ground and she ran to Seth.

“Marena. Marena. I’m here. I’m here. Stop crying.” One of the men said something she didn’t understand. Seth continued, “They want us to go into the big room.”

Inside was the largest room Marena had ever seen. It was packed wall to wall with people. They made their way to the front. A woman sat in a chair. “Hello, Marena. Sit beside me. Seth can stay where he is.” Most of the people began to sit as Marena sat. The men with spears stayed at the doorway, which was without any covering. “We brought you here, Marena. Because you are one of us.”

Marena felt strange. All the people were looking at her. One man was staring hard at her. She looked away from him. None of them looked like her. Maybe they had the same hair, but, but, everything else was different.

“Are you my family?”

“Marena. You had parents.” Marena nodded. “Did they love you?” Sadly she looked down. “Friends?”

She answered a tiny, “No.”

“Here you do. You are a member of our group.”

“I am?”

“Yes. Forever and a day.”

“Why?”

“Because you were born like us.”

“I was?” Marena had no idea what she was talking about. And did she mean all of these people here?

“Yes.”

“How? How am I like you?”

“We tried to reach you. When you first started to talk to people using your mind and not your voice.” The woman shook her head and looked around. “Then, as suddenly as you started, you stopped.” She laughed. “Your tribe moved. Frequently. Lost in the forest. We looked. Half a decade later you started again. That was unusual. One of our people tried to rescue you.”

They watched her closely. She asked, “All of these people? They all talk? I mean they talk and don’t use their voice.”

“None of us have that ability.”

“You said, we are like each other.”

“Ah. We are like each other in different ways.”

“How?”

“We live a long time. We don’t die of old age.”

“I won’t die. When I am old.” Marena stated flatly, thinking the idea over and over until the woman continued.

“We don’t get, old.”

“How old are you?” The crowd smiled. Seth looked worried.

“I am one hundred and ninety eight years old.”

“You don’t look that old.”

“True.”

Marena looked down at her palms, “We are just born. And we don’t die.”

“We haven’t so far.”

“Oh.” What was she supposed to do? Live with them, because they don’t die? And she might not ever die? When would she die? “How else? How else are we, you, me the same?”

“We loose our teeth.” Marena stared at the woman’s mouth.

“What? When? But you have teeth.”

“You know that everyone is born with a set of teeth and then, they grow up. Their teeth fall out and their new adult teeth grow in. Yes?”

Marena shocked and alarmed drew her hands to her mouth, “I’m going to loose my teeth!”

Seth tried to be reassuring, he leaned forward, “Yes, Marena. You are young. You still have your baby teeth.” Marena started feeling her teeth. “Everyone looses their baby teeth. The adult ones come in.” His voice trailed off, “and they are larger. I don’t know what she is talking about.”

“I’m talking about something Marena will do. And you never will.”

Seth moved and sat next to Marena. He was trying to support her. To let her know she was not all alone. He was acutely aware this woman had not introduced herself.

She patiently explained, “It happens at different times for different people. It takes about a year for the new set of teeth to have grown in. You eat a lot of soup.”

Seth thought her attempt to look like she was patiently explaining, was hiding something. He wondered when she was going to explain what she did want from Marena.

Marena looked bewildered. “I’m going to loose my teeth.”

Seth whispered, “At least once. Everyone does.”

Marena whined, “Two times. Why?”

“I don’t think she knows.”

The woman interrupted, “Nobody knows why.” This meeting was not going the way she wanted. She was supposed to bring the child in and have her fall in love with them and stay with them. Now the girl was worried about loosing her baby teeth. Her finger tapped her thigh. Which told everyone how exasperated she was with Marena.

Marena didn’t like this. These people knew her. The whole group was quiet, watching her. Using her thoughts she said, “Hello?”

“I’m coming.” Came the telepathic reply.

The staring man jumped up and yelled to the woman, “He’s coming.” Marena’s jaw fell. She and Seth looked at the doorway. A man entered. Pale, thin, and wearing a skirt similar to Ianto’s with a long sleeved shirt in a dazzling white. He looked at the woman and then Seth.

The woman yelled, “Guards!” The guards looked around mystified, then went outside. The woman put her face in her hands, “No. No. No.” The entire group stood up.

Warren replied, “Yes.” He smiled. The entire group sat back down. As he spoke he went up to each person in the group, they stood and he gave them a hug. Some he kissed. Some kissed him back. “Marena. How are you?” Marena didn’t answer. He glanced over at her, and went back to hugging people, “The part she’s not telling you. Is that the person sent to retrieve you was Sab.”

Marena and Seth looked at each other. Seth really wanted to know more. Warren continued, “Sab waited five years for you to “talk” again. Guess he has no patience. His mistake was splitting his group into two. He and the first half attacked Ianto.” He continued hugging people. “They died. All except Sab. The second group waited as a lioness. With horses.” He said the last with a lilt in his voice. He looked at Seth, “Someone,” he went back to hugging, “hit Ianto with a rock.” Seth froze. Warren looked at Marena, “Don’t worry. He did not die.”

“Because we cannot die.”

“Marena. We can die. Of course we can die. Lop off someone’s head. They die.” Warren was at the front with the staring man. Who hung his head and looked like he was crying. Warren tenderly held him, touching his head and back. They rocked back and forth. 

Warren moved on to the next few people. “Some of us are harder to kill, than others.” He reached The Woman. She stood up tense and angry. Warren hugged her and she calmed down. She sat.

“Marena give me a hug.” Warren held out his arms to her. He looked so, non threatening, she went to him. He spoke to her telepathically, “My name is Wa’ar.”

“You are you. I know you.”

“Yes. Use your telepathy. I do not want any of these people to know my name. Try not to think it. Don’t say it out loud. Please.” He smiled at her, “I go by Warren. Because everyone either mispronounces it or thinks my name is War. Ianto is almost here. You will leave with him?” She nodded enthusiastically. Warren kissed her forehead, “Also, Jerry. Jerry never hears me. He thinks I don’t exist. If you want to talk about me, talk to Ianto.”

“Okay. I am not to talk to Jerry about you.”

“Yes.”

Seth was surprised when Warren came over to him. He’d noticed Warren skipped people in the crowd. They must be people on the outside of this “We live forever” group. Since he knew he was on the outside he never expected to be given the ‘hug’ and he also noticed Warren hugged males and females exactly the same. They were all just ‘people’ to him.

Warren moved closer and closer. Seth gulped. “Ah.” What? Warren knows what I’m thinking? Warren smiled like he was about to eat a piece of delicious, juicy chicken. Warren was right up next to Seth. His lips parted. He hugged Seth. Seth thought it was more of a caress, than a hug. Warren kissed his neck.

“Hello, Seth.”

Seth stopped breathing. He had never been touched like this! “Ah.”

“Do you want to go?”

“Ah.”

“Do you want to go with Marena? Or do you want to go with me?”

“Ah. Somebody has to be with Marena.”

Warren studied Seth, “Ianto. Marena is going with Ianto.” Seth was amazed! It’s true. He’s talking to me and not using his voice. Seth had a moment of clear thinking. He knows.

“My name is Warren. Don’t say it out loud.”

Seth was anxious. Oh. Oh God protect me. He knows I threw the rock at Ianto. I was working for Sab and Sab is one of these people. He’s going to wait and when Marena is gone, he is going to kill me.

“Honestly. You think I want to be alone with you. So, I can kill you.” Warren kissed Seth. Slowly their lips came apart. They both knew they would leave together. “I want to learn everything about you. What do you want to do?”

Seth was incredulous, “Now?” A smile played across Warren’s face. Seth pleaded, “We have to wait for Ianto.” Warren took Seth’s hand.

Warren looked at Marena, “Wait here for Ianto.” Warren and Seth walked out, hand in hand. Seth tried to look back at Marena. Everyone was now standing and blocking his view of her.

The crowd of people all surged for the door behind the woman’s chair. Marena looked at the woman. She was speaking to the staring man. The man nodded and left. She turned to Marena, “You should go, child.”

“Why did you bring me here?”

She looked at Marena so earnestly, Marena fidgeted. She took Marena’s hand and patted it, “Maybe one day you will tire of living with them, with Ianto. And then you will find us, and live with us.” She touched the gold bracelet, “He must love you. He certainly gives you nice presents.”

Marena didn’t like the look the woman had and felt compelled to explain, “Ianto didn’t give me these! These are from the Captain.” She pointed to the gold and then the braided bracelet. “And Vafid bought the white horsehair and Arnav braided it. And the cook cleaned the red beads and they were from my mother.” She looked down at her belt, “And this is from, from the people who helped us. Not Ianto.” Marena suddenly remembered her tray. “Oh. My tray.” She headed for the door, she and Seth had used, calling out over her shoulder as she went, “Captain gave me my tray. Not Ianto.” And she was out the door and racing for the stairs. She ran to her room and found her tray.

Marena smelled smoke. She danced around in a crazy circle not knowing what to take. She picked up a pillow and threw it out the window, and ran back to the stairs and ran down them. She didn’t know where to go. She turned around and saw the fire on the top of the buildings, and headed for the forest. At the last second she saw the path and ran down it. While hugging her tray to her chest.


	17. Rescue.

Ianto was angry. Angry for losing Marena. Angry with Sab for taking her from him. Angry for taking too long to reach her while she was still aboard the ship. Angry that he had yet to find her. Sab must be one of the other’s. He was angry that half of “The Group”, the half with no telepathic abilities whatsoever, had left in the first place. They said they were not “our” slaves and walked out. Ianto was angrier than ever with them. Now that they’d abducted Marena, he couldn’t even think of having them rejoin them, some day.

Ianto was angry when he saw Maiz’s oar point. A boat had been pulled up onto shore and hidden behind the trees. Maiz did good, and Ianto lost a small fraction of his anger. They pulled their boats out onto the shore. Taking spears and water, they ran. Maiz saw three men stay behind. Maiz continued to think about those three as he had to keep slowing up and catching his breath. He was left behind. He kept running. That those three were not a part of Ianto’s people made sense to him. They must be the boat owners. He ran and ran. Then, he smelled smoke.

Ianto, Kurt and Sean entered the clearing. The place was burning. None of the walls were now taller than their hips. They each took a different direction. Plenty of space surrounded each building. Therefore the fires were deliberately set. The buildings had been built of rock. How was it they were burned up? When they met up again Kurt carried a pillow and William joined them.Kurt put the pillow to his nose and handed it to Ianto. The smoke was filling Ianto’s nose. So, he moved into the forest. And inhaled. He smelled Marena, “Yes.”

Sean said, “I think she is alive and they took her.”

Kurt asked, “Do you think the pillow was a marker?”

Maiz, his heart pounding, ran into the clearing. He took in the burning buildings. Extremely anxious that Marena might be in the firery, burning inferno, he ran around erratically peering into the flames. Sean and Kurt watched him. They thought he would calm down once he saw them. Instead he ran right past them, yelling, “Marena! Marena!” And ran into the dense foliage.

Kurt and Sean eyes went wide in surprise. They looked at each other. Sean gave a whistle. The group of men followed Kurt and Sean onto a trail. Following the still yelling Maiz. “Marena.”They now yelled, “Maiz.” The quiet density of the forest seemed to absorbe all sound, like a fish disappearing under the surface of muddy water.

Maiz either ignored their yelling or he didn’t hear them. Maiz continued to yell, “Marena.”Kurt caught up and touched him. Maiz screamed and took off like a rabbit.

Kurt asked Ianto, “What’s his name?”

“Maiz!” Yelled both Ianto and Sean.

Kurt replied to himself, “That’s what I thought.”

Maiz’s fear wore off and he looked back, “Oh.” When the group caught up to him he said breathlessly, “I thought you were ahead of me.” Everyone passed him, except William. Ianto did a hand wave. Kurt and Sean repeated the hand movement until it reached William. William grinned. The job of keeping an eye on Maiz, fell to him. This Guy, from the ship. The ship that abducted Marena. They ran on.

Marena heard a scream. She hid. Ianto ran past her. “Ianto!” Two more people ran past before they stopped. “Ianto! Maiz? Kurt.” Ianto came back to her. He picked her up gripping her to his chest. Marena gripped him back. He immediately started walking back to the burning buildings. Kurt took the tray dangling from Marena’s hand. Maiz and William stepped out of the way. Marena was crying when Ianto finally tried to look at her face.

Ianto wiped her tears away. He was in that strange limbo of relief. His happiness at finally having her back, pushed his anger with himself at losing her in the first place, and his anger with the people that took her, into a pit in his stomach and was forgotten for a while. He smiled and waited until she smiled back at him. Her scratches and bruises had healed since the last time he saw her.

Sean waved to Kurt, by putting his left index finger on his left shoulder and moving it up and down. Kurt placed his right hand on Sean’s right shoulder. They walked instep with each other as they watched Marena, looking at Ianto.

They reached the clearing. “My tray!”

Kurt smiled as he handed it to her, “Here you are.”

Maiz walked around looking at the burning, charred mess. The broken walls seemed wrong to him. He looked at the ground around the area. “Look.” He pointed. Nobody noticed him, except William. He went over and looked at the ground.

“What do you see?”

“These flat spots. I think they are elephant foot prints.” William tried not to show his surprise.

“Why are elephants here?”

“Why indeed.” William now tried not to smile. They returned to Ianto. Marena was deciding to keep the pretty pillow. She wanted to hold it, her tray and stay in Ianto’s arms. Ianto looked at each man and they began the trek back to the boats.

Kurt worked out the boat’s return trip. Marena was most likely to do the whole trip in Ianto’s arms.

Seth pondered the missing people that took Marena in the first place. He enjoyed the thought of hunting them.

Maiz wondered how he might return to his father’s ship. Then he worried at being left here to wait for his father’s next trip to Goa. A year. Here. He had to find work. Then a thought hit him like a cold, ocean wave over the edge of the ship. Where was Seth?

William brought up the rear. In those few stray moments he had while keeping watch, he pondered the elephants.

The party of five reached the boats. As they were place in the water, Maiz asked Marena, “Where is Seth?” Everyone moved uneasily and listened.

“He went with,” she rembered she was not to say his name, “someone.”

“Was he taken? Or did he want to go?”

“He wanted to go.” She nodded. “Yes.”

Ianto took a deep breath. He pointed down. Everyone sat. The three boatmen shrugged to each other. They hauled the front of the boats up on shore and sat. Marena sat in Ianto’s lap. “Your pillow is pretty.” She nodded. “Show them.” She held up the pillow. He looked at her with a small smile. She crawled out of his lap, knelt and held the pillow up, “This is the pillow they gave me. I used it in the wooden box and in a ‘room’.It was high up and like a cage. I was all by myself. They let me have my tray.”

Maiz said, “I was sad when I saw you leave with Seth. I saw you in a boat leaving.” Maiz was trying to be like Ianto by not asking questions. He was tense thinking what might have happened to Seth.

She flashed him a smile, “We were in the boat a long time. We left the river. It is very hot here. We were in a big cage of wood. They carried us.” Marena sighed, absently playing with the pillow, she continued, “I heard someone. Not Jerry. They asked what could I see? And then I said, “I wish I could see out.” And then they moved the wood, and I looked out. But all I saw was the forest.” She looked up at Maiz and then Ianto. “Ianto they had me go in a room. All by myself. Then I dreamed Seth was dying. And I looked out. Seth was leaving. I yelled, No! Seth has to stay with me.” And I climbed down and fell. And they caught me. And Seth stayed. Then Seth said, “They want us to go in the big room.”” Sean passed Marena water. She drank. The men tried to relax and listen even though they were impatient to know what happened next.

“The whole village was in the room.” Marena’s thoughts took her back to being in the room. “A woman said, “Sit next to me.” She sat on a chair.” Her face tensed up, “She said I’m going to lose my teeth.” She did a hiccuping breath and flushed red. Looking at Ianto, she said, “Seth said everyone does that.” She crawled back into Ianto’s arms. She calmed down in the safety of Ianto’s lap, “Then a man came. He hugged all the people. When he hugged me I heard him say, “My name is. And then he said, don’t say my name. Don’t think my name.”

Kurt and Sean studied Ianto.

Ianto tenderly looked at the child and quietly said, “His name was Warren.”

Marena’s eyes opened wide and she looked at Ianto. She nodded yes. “He hugged Seth. And Seth said, “Now? I have to stay with Marena.” And he said, “Ianto will be with Marena.” Then he said to me, “Stay here and wait. Ianto is coming.” They left, and all the people left. And the woman said, “Ianto loves you. He gave you presents.””

Marena was speaking faster now as she explained herself, “Ianto did not give me these bracelets! These gold bracelets are from Captain! And Vafid bought me white horsehair. And Arnav braided them. And Cook cleaned the red beads. And Captain said you count very well. And this tray is for you.” She began gripping and regripping the edge of the tray. And then I smelled smoke. Outside. I ran. Everything was burning and I ran to the river.” She turned and hugged Ianto, “Thank you for coming back for me. I love you, Ianto.” He tenderly held her and kissed her hair.

Kurt and Sean shared a look as Ianto stood up, still holding Marena. The boatmen heaved the boats into the river. William smiled at Maiz in a way, different from before Marena’s revelations.

Sean asked Kurt, “Who is this Warren?” Kurt smiled and rolled his eyes. He had no idea. Sean laughed, “We’ve heard of him, how many times now?”

Kurt shrugged, “They say each other’s name?”

“They do. They are always near each other and yet, always missing each other.”


	18. Maiz and Marena

The trip down the river was uneventful if, all the animals, plants, sounds from the forest, and the odors surrounding them didn’t count. Marena laughed at the monkeys in a tree. Her laughter eased Ianto’s worries.

Maiz’s thoughts whirled around like an eddy. Being a sailor, he focused on the beginning. Men in canoes made from tree trunks, came aboard. That was the first affront. Sab and the men insisted a child was to be transported to Kochi. That was the second. As a bribe they brought food and drink. Then set up a roasting pit on shore. The better the food became, the more his father worried. These men had played wrestling games as they waited. To show off their physical prowess? Maiz thought so. Then Sab returned with a child, who was tied up! And blindfolded! Sab threatened us. We were not to touch the child!

One of the men Sab brought with the child was Seth. Seth didn’t speak until, he said, “She’s never been on a ship before, untie her.” Then his father took over, and Sab left. Seth didn’t seem to be a part of Sab’s men. Maiz tried not to think of Marena’s company on the trip. He liked her. She never ate a fish before, he remembered fondly. She was curious about everything. And his dad liked her. What did his father trade for the gold he gave her? Even Cook liked her!

Then, more hard men came for the child at Goa. Not Kochi! With a woman wearing expensive clothes. At first he was agog at the spices they loaded aboard. Then felt he was being distracted and watched where they took Marena.

Then Ianto arrived, wearing his black and white striped skirt. He and his men were also hard. Maiz had an ah-ha moment. They were hard like his father, not Sab. And then the backbreaking speed they rowed, on the way to Marena. Now they were positively coasting along. He took a break. This speed was not slow by his standards. They entered a larger river, heading downstream. This return trip seemed so fast. Oh. The current was with them.The setting sun was was in his eyes.

Unaware of his surroundings and the sound of a splashing fish, the image of the compound played in front of Maiz’s mind. He saw the wide expanse of dirt in the middle of the forest. The buildings with the knocked over walls of rock. Their insides all in flames. The elephant’s foot prints. The timing between Marena being taken from him, at the shore of Goa, and his own arrival at the compound, seemed to not match up, somehow. Something was wrong. How much time passed between their leaving Goa and the arrival of Ianto? He laid his oar across his legs and rubbed his eyes, and tried to work out the length of time for each part of the last day.

In the darkness, the boatmen jumped out and held the boats steady. Ianto and his men sloshed onto the beach and stretched. They laid down. More men joined them. One carried a torch, two others carried large bundles of wool. They paid off the boatmen with the wool, who then left, rowing their boats home. Most of the city and it’s people were on the opposite river bank.

Maiz, still trailed by William, followed the group as they walked the mile to the ocean shore and boarded Thomas’s ship. They relaxed, drank and ate. Maiz noticed who paired up. Thomas, he didn’t know, was with William. Rick and Jonathan talked quietly with each other. Four others, he didn’t know, were engaged in a game. Kurt and Sean kept lookout. Which seemed strange to Maiz. Shouldn’t the one’s who stayed with the ship, be keeping lookout?

Marena was still with Ianto. Next to him. She was awake, having slept during most of the trip down the river. He approached Marena tentatively and sat on one foot, with the other knee up near his shoulder. Hugging his leg, not realizing the image he made was of someone trying to appear small and non-threatening.

Ianto watched Maiz. Maiz appeared to be thinking and when he came to a decision, he sat in front of him and Marena. Ianto had wondered what Maiz would do as they reached the ocean. Maiz might have left with the boatmen. He didn’t. He might have snuck away in the dark. He didn’t. He wondered if Maiz was going to plead for his life. He was after all, one of the crew that abducted Marena. The gifts and Maiz’s help worked in his favor. Maiz showed them the way, noticed the boat hidden in the trees, and his erratic running had taken them on the same time path Marena had taken. Ianto evaluated Maiz and his father’s situation. Mostly, it was Marena’s reaction to Maiz, that shifted Ianto’s opinion.

“Marena. Seth taught you to count.” Maiz paused, still wondering if he was doing right. Ianto’s face told him nothing. He had to know and went on, “The last time you were with Seth.”

“In the room.”

“Yes. Think about the people. Please, count them.” Marena looked at Ianto and closed her eyes. Her right index finger bounced in the air as she counted. What she was doing spread throughout the crew.

She stopped, “I reached a hundred. What do I do?”

“Begin at one and keep counting the rest of the people.” She shut her eyes and continued counting.

“Do I count the people outside?”

“Yes, please.”

“Do I count Seth and Warren? And Me?”

“No.”

“I counted one hundred. And then I counted fourteen people.”

“Thank you Marena. Marena did you smell cooking fires?”

Emphatically she nodded, no, “No.” The men at their game, no longer played. All the men moved closer and listened.

Maiz continued, “When we were on the ship, before, we saw elephants.” Marena smiled. “When you were at that place in the forest, did you see any elephants?”

“No.”

“I thought maybe elephants might be there. They are grey. The smoke from the fire is grey and white.”

Marena sat staring. Her face lit up, “Yes. One elephant was standing in the smoke. Way over there. It was standing there. Not doing anything. And I ran into the forest.”

He replied smiling, “Thank you, Marena.” She smiled and nodded to Maiz.

Maiz sat crosslegged and looked at Ianto. “Ianto. I do not know your people. Before Sab and his men forced their way aboard, neither the Captain nor I had ever seen or heard of him. I do not know Sab’s people.”

Ianto looked at Sean and Kurt. “Captain talked to his crew?” He turned his gaze to Maiz.

Maiz paled, affronted. “He had many opportunities to do so. Captain is my father.” Ianto gave him a curt nod. Maiz gulped. He collected his thoughts. “I think the expense to bring Marena from Yambe to Goa was very high. I saw Seth teach Marena every day. For most of our trip, she studied. To count and to draw. Sab told us we were taking the child to Kochi. Where she was to be met by her family. Instead, they took her here, in Goa. They took her to a place in the forest. With buildings built of rock.”

Maiz paused wondering if Ianto understood what he was trying to say. “This is the part I do not understand. Once they talked to Marena about losing her baby teeth, they left. Why? Why such an expensive trip, with a teacher, to talk about teeth? I think they had intended, from before Marena arrived, that they intended to leave. They had elephants waiting, to knock over the walls. Why? Then they burned everything. Why? And I am amazed, that they left Marena behind. One hundred and fourteen people left, in moments. Their leaving was planned.” He felt tired. None of this. This. Made any sense to him. “These people are like a flock of birds. Where they go, we will never know.” Maiz waited.

Ianto said nothing. There were too many aspects of Marena being taken, for him to have an explanation for Maiz. How to explain The Group? That fear and anger led them to split into two. And most likely it was Warren’s arrival that kept them from taking Marena. How to explain Warren? A man he’d never met.

Everyone was tired. They were about to set sail, in the dark. He and Thomas wanted to be far from shore before the moon rose. Ianto looked at Thomas and William. Maiz looked around, “Where do I sleep?” They worked out the sleeping quarters for each person.

Once Maiz laid down, he wanted to listen in on Ianto’s conversation, instead he fell right to sleep. When he awoke, he no longer saw the shore. He thought, at least I am still aboard. They didn’t toss me into the salty sea.


	19. The trip across the Ocean.

Maiz sat, looking down at a bowl of some porridge type of food, groggily eating. Someone had passed him the dish. From the rocking, he knew the ship was at sea and over deep water. As he finished, he looked up, and blinked at the brightness of the blue sky. He watched the sun passing it’s zenith. Above and behind him was a sail. White as a cloud, and curved like one, too. With no seams zig zagging across it’s surface, it was smooth and looked like the cheek of a baby.Smooth and rounded, it was awesome. He found himself wanting to reach up and touch it. He almost couldn’t breath. He looked over the sail for many minutes.

The sun told him they were headed west. He stopped thinking. He saw, he knew the ship was sailing west. West? How were they not following the land and headed north? Everything about the view, the sun, told him they were pointed slightly north of due west. How?

The ships’ cook stood in front of him, speaking to him. Maiz absently stood and handed cook his dish, saying, “Thank you.” Cook nodded and left him.

Maiz slumped back on his fur. His eyes drifted back to all that whiteness. When he tired of looking up, he looked at the deck around him. He was quite alone. The ship was covered in wood, without a reed in sight. He kept finding something new everywhere he looked. He looked behind himself.

A roofed building stood in the middle of the back half of the ship! It’s roof had ridges, from the top front to the bottom aft edge. There was space to walk around it, between it and the edge of the ship. The edge looked more like a railing.It was so very narrow. Maiz wondered how a man straddled the edge to paddle. Something bumped under him! He jumped up.

Ianto, Kurt and Sean kept an eye on Maiz. His reaction was the reason they never let out the sail near port, and stayed farther out from shore, than most ships. In the darkness of a new moon, with only the stars to light up the sail, they went were Ianto wanted.

Maiz saw Ianto, Kurt and Sean watching him, from the edge of the little building. He suddenly felt like Marena must have felt, when she was first aboard. Remembering the first time she ever saw a fish, a smile played over his features. Where was she? He wanted to duck down and look into the building. The social rules to never look in someone’s house, kept him from looking. Maiz looked back at Ianto. Ianto lifted his chin. Maiz smiled back. Sean gave a low whistle. William came out from behind the building.

William approached Maiz, “Good morning.” He wanted to gut Maiz and toss him overboard. The thought of Maiz in shock first from the wound, and then from all his guts spilling out, and then from the shock of cold sea water. The salt entering his every pore, with him quivering in shock. The last thing he would ever see was the blue sunlit water, as he died. Then again maybe he was wrong in putting all the blame of Marena’s abduction on Maiz. He knew Sab had used Maiz.

William sighed, glanced up, checked the position of the sun, “Well, afternoon.” Maiz knew William knew exactly the time, and gazed back at him. “Let me show you the ship.” Maiz was acutely aware William didn’t say who was the owner or the Captain of this magnificent ship.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s go aft.”

Ianto watched Maiz follow William. “Needs be I return to my king and army.” Knowing how voices carry, both Kurt and Sean turned away from the ship and looked vacantly at the expanse of sea that continued to the horizon.

Kurt liked being on the water, more than Ianto and Sean. He liked the swiftness of a boat with a sail. He liked that Ianto was always impatient to travel faster. 

The “Others” in the group, the ones that had no telepathic ability, along with those who did, but they didn’t like fighting, and didn’t want to do map making, or cooking, those two groups of people slowly merged and evolved into “those people who solve problems”. Then there was the great walk out. The “Others” left saying, “We are not your slaves.” One of the telepaths went with them. They’d looked for a second one ever since. A century later a sort of uneasy peace was made between the members with telepathic abilities and those without.

Meanwhile, the “people in the group, who solved problems” became known as “Transportation”. Voiture Transportation was the oldest company on the planet. Ianto’s impatience to be some place quicker, led them to constantly look for new ways to improve his modes of transportation. Nor did it matter who was captain, or who used the ship. Transportation considered all planes, trains, trucks, cars, ships and horses as belonging to Ianto. Ianto was unaware of Transportation’s viewpoint. He believed Voiture Transportation owned everything. Right down to the stone knife and Kurt’s horse that he’d given away.

Ianto always wanted his horses to be faster as well. Kurt wondered how could a horse be faster? He finally said to Ianto, “Yes.”

Sean was well aware that once they had the girl, Ianto was aching to return to his Tansi’s arms. They were nice arms. He asked, “Is the plan still to take Marena to the map makers?”

Ianto stopped resting his elbows on the side of the ship, with his hips canted out. He missed his boyfriend. His way of kissing. He stopped dreaming of those kisses. The “quest to find the new telepath.” Was now; “What to do with her?” He turned and faced the ocean with his friends. “We take Marena to the map makers. They are with Jerry and the mad Romans.”

Kurt thought over the logistics of such a trip to Roma, while at the same time, returning Ianto to the field of battle. “Your army is still in the south lands. So, we go there first.”

”The army has returned, or is returning to the King. On the Nile.”

Sean asked, “We sent Nathan to Jerry. Is he there yet?” He was hopeful that Nathan was not yet across the Mediterranean. If he wasn’t, maybe they could have The Child travel with him? They kept up the pondering.

————————————

Marena woke from a daytime sleep. After giving each of the three men a hug, she looked for Cook. Cook gave her a piece of meat inside hot bread. She surveyed the ship as she ate, first at the prow and then she went aft. Maiz was watching two of the men she didn’t know. One was below deck. He held up a pot of water to the man on top. Who dumped the water over the edge. The “below” man reached for a second pot from the deck and went below. 

Maiz was learning about the problems of water seeping in. William and Thomas’s method of removing that salty water seemed laborious. He didn’t know what to do. This problem did not occur on a reed ship. He suddenly thought, that’s not true, we beach the ship and let the water drain out.

William saw Maiz’s sudden vacant expression. He and Thomas waited. Maiz looked from Marena back to William. William asked, “Do you have an idea?” Maiz gave the tiniest shake of his head. William waited. Marena returned to Ianto. Who picked her up.

Maiz looked like he was still unsure about something. William checked Thomas. Thomas was waiting for Maiz to speak. “When Marena came to us. She didn’t know a word, and now somehow, she knows how to speak to me. She understands.” Maiz gave a wave of his hand, “Everything. Before, when she first came aboard, Seth had to tell her everything. She no longer needs Seth.”

Thomas thought Maiz was either playing dumb, or acting slow? Maiz had claimed Seth had been teaching Marena, every day, by his own words.

William asked, “Seth taught Marena to count. To draw? What?”

“He said they were letters. Many letters.”

William sighed, “Did you hear him using words, that you understood?”

Maiz was having another ah-ha moment, “I thought he was doing that, so we knew what he was talking about. When he talked to Marena. So, we didn’t think he was talking to her, about us.” But, right there in front of us, he was teaching Marena our language.

“She had Seth teaching her for almost two months?” William shrugged, “She learned.”

Maiz abruptly changed the subject, “Ah. They feed babies. With cups. With a hole that sticks out of the side. Make a small hole in the side of the ship. High up. Then make a big baby cup. Sop up the water. Put it in the cup. The water goes out the side of the cup and out through the hole in the ship. He looked down into the dim interior below the deck.

William was sure it had been at least two centuries since he watched anyone feeding a baby.

Thomas started working the problem. He had no idea what a baby cup looked like. The main part of Maiz’s idea was to have a hole in the side of the ship. With a way to keep the sea out. And a way to pour the water out the hole.

Maiz ended with, “Find a potter. Have them make one.”

Thomas had already decided the hole idea, was a good one. But, clay? Clay breaks. Wood would be better. And a hole? Every sailor would notice it, immediately. Maybe a panel. A shorter one. Replaceable. To someone not in the know, the panel might appear to be a repair. Then again, why should he care if other ships adopted the design? He came up on top and started dumping water.

William suggested, “Shall we go inside?” Maiz again followed him. Except for Thomas and the three men working below, everyone was in the little house.

Maiz had thought the interior was to be cooler than out in the sunshine and it was. His surprise was that it was not stuffy, that uncomfortable warmth from seven people being in one room. The walls had slits that let in a cooling breeze. All along the inside walls hung dried meats and baskets. A low seat along the two opposite walls held containers of water underneath.

Maiz noticed. It was the same every day. Always about the same time. Just like the time in the canoes. They were paddling up the river, when everyone stopped for a moment. Then they went on paddling as before.

William sat, took a deep breath and held his face in his hands. Everyone seemed relaxed and about to sleep. Maiz carefully watched and this time he counted. When he reached thirty five, Ianto stood, stretched and went outside. William scratched his head and sat up. The fourth man from below appeared to be asleep the whole time. Maiz didn’t know if that meant anything or not. Cook looked the same. Tending his fire. Marena looked out the doorway at the sky. Kurt was behind him. So, he didn’t know what Kurt had done. That left Seth and Thomas. Maiz looked at Seth. Seth was looking him, expressionless, straight in the eye. He didn’t blink or look away. Maiz thought of something to say, and came up with nothing. He blinked and looked away.

That was the last time Maiz witnessed the men all seeming to sleep at the same time. The next day as the time approached he was talking to Ianto. The day after Thomas wanted to explore his hole in the ship idea. The day after that it was Marena. She had asked him about his family.

Marena! She was a child. How could she be a part of this strange ritual?

____________________________________________

Early in the morning, before the dawn, Ianto dreamed of being with his love. He remembered when he first told him, “My name, Tansi. It is Greek. It means, “has immortality”.Ianto had studied the man in his arms, carefully. Kissing Tansi. Being kissed in return. He ran his fingers over Ianto’s face, while whispering his love. Sleepily Ianto felt the movement of the ship under him. He awoke. Tribus mensibus. Three months, since he last held him. He breathed deeply.

Marena ran a finger over Ianto’s face. Ianto said sleepily, “Never tickle a horse.”

She laughed. Teasingly she asked, “Are you a horse, Ianto?” Her fingers moved to his hair.

The dream was still in his thoughts. Tansi had compared him to a stallion on more than one occasion. “Or a sleeping man.”

“Are you sleeping, Ianto?” She held a lock of his hair.

“I was.”

“But, now you are awake. Why is your hair so yellow?”

“Now. I am. Little duck.” Ianto rubbed his face to take away the tickling feeling. He opened his eyes and laughed. Marena’s face was a hand distance from his own. She was examining his hair. She looked at him and saw he loved her, her own face radiating his joy. “Let me up, little duck.” She moved upright and watched him go to the stern. He joined Thomas.

Thomas wished Ianto good morning and asked, “Will you stay at the stern until the morning trip is over?”

“Yes.” Didn’t he give Thomas a break every morning?

“Thanks.” Thomas waited. Ianto stopped looking into the darkness and studied Thomas. He raised his eyebrows. “Maiz has an idea. Make a hole in the side. To let the water out. A small one, high above the waterline.”

Ianto blinked and did the smallest of shrugs. He said, while yawning, “Your boat.” He gave a sleepy grin, “I have to tame this beast.”

Thomas didn’t need to look down at Ianto’s skirt. He smiled and did as he did every morning, he went inside for his morning break. And gave Ianto some “alone” time.

Two more days passed.

Marena shivered in the cold of a storm. Ianto covered her with his sleeping fur. Then she was hot and pushed it off. The wind blew so hard, that Thomas lowered the sail to half mast. They traveled faster than she had ever gone. Some waves made the little craft go up and suddenly drop. At a crack from the heavens, Marena cried out and crawled into Ianto’s arms. Nobody had eaten since yesterday. The ship lurched to the side and down. And then up again.

There was nothing to do, but bail out the water. Each man took a turn, except cook. Cook used the roof to catch water and refilled his drinking pots. With a small fire, he made tea. He kept several pots of water close by, and a basket of sand, in case the fire spread from the bucking of the ship.

Later, Ianto and Kurt returned from dumping water. They were hot on the inside and wet and cold on the outside. Marena tried to dry off Ianto with her fur. She didn’t see his embarrassed smile. Kurt and Sean did. Ianto sat, “Marena.” She kept trying to dry him. “Marena, stop.”

“You’re cold.” But, she stopped.

“I will drink some hot tea. And I.” She was looking at him earnestly. Worried for him. “I don’t know how to count.” Her surprise wiped away the haggard look she had, from riding the storm. She studied him in the dim light of the fire.

“You know everything.”

“Apparently not.” Marena was lost. Apparently? Did that mean he did or he did not?

Ianto smiled at her, as her expression went blank. He kissed her forehead with his chilled lips. Cook passed a cup to him. He drank some and gave Cook a look of thanks.

“I know how. I will teach you to count.” She brought out her tray, from behind Cook’s water. Cook sprinkled a little sand on the tray. Copying Seth, she began teaching Ianto to count.

Maiz listened. He really wanted to escape. Again the endless listing of numbers! He took the next turn at bailing water. Thinking at least on a sunny day he had the option to move away from the endless sing song of unus, duo, tres, quattuor, quinque, sex, septem, octo, novem, decem. As he bailed, he started to laugh. Because he too, had learned the numbers. When his turn was over, he returned to find everyone learning to draw the numbers. Happily he joined them.

The storm abated. The winds did not. A long week later they reached shore. With everyone safe and sound, and capable of counting to centum, one hundred. When Maiz might ever need to count anything, to such a large number as centum, didn’t matter. He was ready! He felt like such a learned man, when he returned to his family.

They had arrived before his father. Maiz told himself that his father had to sell all his spices at other ports. That was why they arrived earlier and tried not to worry. His family cooked a big dinner. The women made sweets as they discussed Ianto’s white skin and blond hair. When they tended to the roasting goat, they watched Marena. With so many people, they ate outside spread out around the fire.

Ianto with his men, Marena and Maiz’s whole family listening, gave Maiz a proposal, “We sail north. When we meet your father, we trade ships.” Maiz was stunned, “This is a very interesting idea. If it were up to me. I would accept your offer. However, my father own’s his ship. And I cannot speak for him.” Ianto nodded gravely.

Maiz tossed and turned all that night, thinking he must have made a big mistake.

They spent two days, unloading, fixing and readying the ship. Maiz tried to not let his anxiety show. In the late evening light, when few were out to notice, he watched from shore as a small piece of the planking was removed from the side of the ship.Near the top. Near the middle. Later the plank was back in place. Maiz returned home. Everyone slept, except Kurt, who took first watch.

The next day Ianto waited until dinner to speak to Maiz. Again everyone was there. Everyone wanted to see the whiter than white, men. Especially the leader, the blond haired man. And the strangely colored daughter he had found! Lost and eating nothing but onions!

“Maiz. Tomorrow when the water goes out. We go with it. I invite you to come with us. We will meet your father. Then we will ask your father the same question. May we trade ships.” Maiz flushed with relief. He was deeply happy. His family spent the evening dancing and singing to entertain their guests. Maiz’s neighbors joined in. Some played drums. They invited Marena to dance with them. Soon everyone was dancing. Sean watched Ianto for most of the evening, and said to Kurt, “Tamen desiderio amoris.” (He misses his love.) Kurt turned towards Ianto, his lips compressed, he looked back at Sean in agreement.


	20. Ianto, Nathan and Tansi.

They sailed with the tide. Thomas laughed, on hearing Maiz was worried, because the ocean is so vast. When he had the chance Thomas asked him, “Why do you worry?” Maiz shook his head and looked away. He couldn’t admit he was anxious they might miss his father. Not to these men. He knew how seeing the clouds extending to the horizon gave a false sense of seeing long distances. When in reality three miles, on the water was about the farthest anyone could see. Unless a man climbed up the mast and that allowed a little farther to be seen.

Jerry had shown the Group at the morning trip, exactly where the Captain was draining his ship of water. By the time they reached him, the Captain was inbetween ports.

Captain, first mate, Cook, and Vafid, were at first thinking the ship on the horizon was pirates. They turned hard away. But, then the ship waved a torch.

As the ships neared each other, Marena happily waved to them. Captain was relieved to see his son alive. Vafid’s eyes never left Marena. They tied the two boats together. They ate and drank coffee together.

Maiz explained his adventure. Briefly. He left out the part where he ran into the jungle, which led them to Marena. It seemed a little silly or like bragging to him. 

The two cooks listened. They compared recipes and solutions to problems they had learned with each other. They both knew adding lemon peel to the tea water kept people healthy. Ianto’s cook explained they had a pot used solely for relieving oneself. Which they then dumped and cleaned in the ocean. The other cook replied, “Aha. Of course. You must have a way to keep it seperate.”

“Yes. It stays outside and behind the house.” 

Ianto looked at Marena’s wrist. “These bracelets are beautiful. I don’t remember seeing them before.”

Marena was surprised. “Yes! These are the bracelets Captain gave me, these gold ones.”

”They have been wonderfully wrought.” Ianto nodded to the Captain. Captain graciously nodded back.

”And Vafid bought the white ones. And Arnav wove them.” Everyone looked to Vafid and then Arnav. “And Cook helped. He cleaned these red beads.”   
  


Ianto looked closely. “Beautifully woven out of pure white horse hair. I’m certain these are red coral. See how clear they are?” He looked at the Captain and his crew. “Thank you. They are most generous gifts.”

He looked at Marena and began. “We have relatives. Two women are without children. We intend to have Marena raised with one of the families. They live far to the north. Farther than the end of the Red Sea. Our intention is to sail to the end of the Red Sea. Travel by land to the White Sea (Mediterranean) and continue north. Our boat is too heavy to carry across land.” Most smiled at the thought of pulling Ianto’s boat out of the water, let alone carrying it anywhere. Ianto drank his coffee, giving Captain and Maiz time to think over the situation.

As they waited, Sean added a story. “I have heard of a ship made in pieces. Together the pieces make a ship. Taken apart, it lays flat. Allowing cattle to haul the pieces overland.”

Thomas quipped, “The keel and mast, taken apart and fitted together again? No! It must be a log boat!” Which everyone, except Marena, knew was simply a hollowed out tree trunk. They were notoriously heavy for the amount they carried.

Marena seemed lost in her own thoughts. Both cooks decided to offer Marena a small sip of coffee. She smiled as she tried it. Then her face scrunched up at the bitterness of the brew. They laughed with her. Ianto’s cook held out his arm to her. She stood next to him. In easy companionship she hung her arm around his shoulder and he around her waist. He looked at her. “It is like life. Both sweet and bitter.”

Captain’s cook observed, “You were taken and now are back with Ianto.”

Marena rocked back and forth. “I’m going to be given to a family that has no children.” She tried to perk up and stopped worrying about the White Sea.

Sean and Kurt watched the exchange. They were both sure that was never going to happen. Where would Marena live?

Ianto continued, “We have the option to sell the ship at the northern end of the Red Sea, if we are able to find a buyer. Or abandon her.” Maiz choked. The thought of such a beautiful ship, being left to whoever claimed her, caused Maiz to choke and cough. Ianto took another sip, “Of course if we had a reed ship, we might carry her to the Nile and then sail north.” Maiz waited, not daring to breath. Ianto asked, “Captain will you be willing to trade ships with us?”

Captain took a deep breath. This trip had been the most worrisome trip in his entire life. Not only did he have to deal with sailing a ship such a long distance against the wind. He’d had to do it under the duress and threats that Sab and his family had forced on him. Then he’d had his son taken from him, not exactly by force. Sean had told him, his son would be home, before he arrived. And here was his son returned to him, before he arrived! And now they offered him a ship, of wood! And not an old ship either. And with a sail as white as a cloud.

Captain composed his reply. “From the first time I saw Sab.” His men made a spitting motion. “I never saw in the future any good coming from that man. I now have three good adventures, that have come our way.” He looked at his crew and son. “We met and grew to love caring for Marena. My son has been on his own adventure and returned healthy and well. Marena who was taken away from us by strangers.” They all looked at Marena. “Strangers, I do not know. Has returned healthy and well. And now you offer this ship, strong and made of wood, to me.” Tears came to his eyes. “I accept your offer, Ianto.”

They all beamed with joy. Ianto said, “Thank you. Thank you for solving our problem.”

“Thank you, for this beautiful ship.” The two men stood and hugged with much clapping on the backs, to seal the bargain.

Everyone began to exchange the loads between the two ships.

The Captain was amazed. He walked around his new ship several times.

The cook’s on hearing they were each to move to the other’s ship, began passing pots and implements, back and forth, across the two boats to each other. While most went to sleep, they stayed up and cooked together. In the morning the two crews awoke to the smell of cooking breads. The bread was rolled around savory meat. Those with a bird’s footprint on the top, had fish inside.

Marena almost forgot her tray. In going back for it she crawled over the edges of the two ships. Ianto called across to the Captain, “Take William with you. William help them.” William nimbly jumped over. He held Marena and her tray up, Ianto took her in his arms. “William, stay with them. In case of bad weather.” A look passed between the two men.

Thomas and Arnav released the ties, fore and aft. Kurt, Sean and Vafid pushed the two ships apart. 

Captain yelled back, “I never thought I would happily give away my Little Bird. Safe travels all your days.”

The sails were hoisted.

Marena waved to Maiz and William. The two ships were quickly too far away for her to see them any more. “Will we ever see them again?”

“Yes. William stays with Maiz and Captain to teach them the ship. When Maiz no longer needs him, William will leave and make his way back to us.”

Kurt liked the seas, yet he didn’t want to be Captain. He was happy Thomas was the Captain. Captaining a ship required constant attendance. He prayed William left Maiz at the next port and rode a horse to them. A fast horse. He laughed to himself. Now he wanted horses to be faster.  
  


Thomas seemed stern and almost angry as he captained the little reed boat.

Cook saw the sadness. He and the other cook knew this would happen. “Everyone, please eat.” He held out a dish of small round balls. There was enough for each to have one, including the cook. Soft and brown and spongy, gooey and sweet, the dessert soon had every one licking their fingers and no longer sad. Marena decided she liked both cooks very much. 

As they sat to eat the evening meal, Ianto picked up a single bite of the fish and held it looking at Thomas. “Thomas. This was the best solution for us.”

“Ah. I captain where you would have me go.” Thomas stared at the plate of food for a few moments without eating. “William still blames Maiz, for what Sab forced upon them.” 

“True, William goes to help with a ship that is new to them. He will treat them well. His anger will add bite to his search for Sab.” Thomas nodded in acquiescence. Ianto waited for Thomas. They both ate together. After that the feelings of all lightened, and they slept well.

During the night Thomas stopped at the Island of Socotra, located in the middle of the ocean, between Africa and the East. Kurt held the ship to the shore as Thomas collected fresh water from a river. Later, he took them north, and caught a fish in the quiet darkness. Which he placed in Cook’s basket. In the morning Ianto gave him a break and Cook gave him tea. Thomas waited for the morning trip, then slept, trying to cover his face from the sun.

Marena was bored with her numbers and letters. It was hot being in the sun. She was bored with sailing, “Ianto, I have been sailing forever.”

“Have you, little duck?”

“Yes.” She had looked down as she spoke.

Ianto went to the edge and looked out over the land. When Marena joined him he began to explain what they were seeing. “Do you see this water?” She tried to look down over the edge. “Here.” He picked her up and set her on the wide edge.

She looked around. “The land is on the wrong side.” She grinned sheepishly. “How did it get over there?” Her eyes darted as she checked the sun.

“Last night. While we were sleeping, Thomas look us past the island of Socotra. And now we follow the coast of Arabia.”

“This is not Goa?”

“No. Goa is across the ocean. In India.”

“This is Arabia.”

“Yes. We left Africa. You sailed with Captain and Maiz. And Seth. And went north and then south to India. You came back to Africa with us. And now we sailed north until we reached Captain and Maiz. When they left us, we sailed to the island of Socotra. Has no one taught you the patterns of the land and the stars?”

“No.”

“Tonight when the sun,” Ianto smiled and looked down, “has said goodbye. We will say hello to the stars.”

“Okay.” She looked back at the shore, “This place has lots of plants.”

Ianto grinned again, “That way,” he pointed westerly, “is Africa.” He turned around, “And that side is the edge of Asia. Nobody calls it that. They call it by, this little part we are looking at, by its name. It is called a peninsula. The Arabian Peninsula. A peninsula is a small piece of land that is attached to the rest of the land by a small part. Where is your tray? I will draw you a picture of the shapes of the land.” Sean handed the tray to Ianto and stayed to listen.

Ianto explained the continents to Marena. Giving the names to places she had been and where they intended to travel. He showed the route she had taken since leaving with Ianto and Nathan, months ago.

She asked, “Where is Nathan?”

“Where is Seth?”

She gave Ianto a slow smile, “Are you tricking me?”

“No.” He grinned. “But, I am going to tickle you.” He tickled her waist.

“What? What are?” Marena burst into giggles. He stopped. And she ended up in his lap, smiling happily. She and Ianto kept exchanging happy smiles. She reached up and pulled Ianto’s face towards her. She kissed him. Sean watched. He was positive Marena had never been tickled before. He rubbed his face and eyes.

Cook served the evening meal.

After they ate, Ianto said, “Come look, Marena.” Everyone joined him and Thomas in looking at the land. “We are at the Gate of Tears. Thomas is taking us through the narrows between the island and the shore.”

She looked at the land on both sides of the ship. Ianto picked her up, so she could see over everyone’s heads. Thomas said, “The waters travel north on this side of the island. Far to the left, on the other side of the island, the waters pull down, they pull south with great strength. The island is far from the shore of Africa. A long day’s walk.”

Kurt and Seth looked at each other. Kurt was again glad he was not captaining. He would have taken the wider route, thinking it to be the safer route. They soon passed the island and followed the Arabian coast north.

Marena went to sleep, forgetting about the stars. That was alright thought Sean, the night sky was covered in whispy clouds.

For the next three days they drank cold tea and ate no foods that required water. Sean and Kurt sewed a few stitches in each of their furs and made a rough tent. Shielding them from the relentless sun. As the heat of the day passed, all the men began rowing. Marena was surprised when Cook took a turn. She wanted to row also. Ianto sat her up, in front of him and held onto the oar with her. Kurt smiled at Sean. Ianto had matched his speed to Marena’s.

Thomas had been keeping a sharp eye out for shallow water, rocks, and any fresh water streams. On the fourth day as the sun set, he saw the light reflected off a very small stream. They stopped. Everyone bathed. Kurt lit a torch from dried branches he found on the shore. Ianto finally carried Marena to shore. She daintily bathed, as the men stood guard around her, looking out at the Red Sea.

They reached a pass through the hills. The land was now close enough to see on both sides at the same time. Thomas kept them close to the eastern shore. They reached Timsah. The city at the end of the Red Sea. They ran the ship up onto the shore. Cook had his supplies packed inside each other. He passed them to the men.

Marena watched in wonder, while staying out of everyone’s way. Horses and cows crowded around. The cows had wooden things on their backs. Goats bleated. Strangers, some wearing long robes, were everywhere. Ianto looked at her and then seemed distracted. Kurt mounted a horse. He held his spear in his right hand. Ianto came to her. “Marena ride with Kurt.” He picked her up.

She played with his hair, softly she said up near his ear, “I want to go with you.”

Ianto tilted his head and looked at her. “Kurt walks. Like Rosie. When I’m done here, I will ride fast.” He tickled her and held her up to Kurt. She sat in front of Kurt. The second she touched the horse it began walking. Already, Ianto, the ship, Sean and Cook were out of her view.

They walked the rest of the day and into the night, when Marena heard hoof beats. Ianto and Sean caught up to them.

Late the next day the horses quickened their pace. “What are they doing?” Marena laughed at first then she couldn’t stop bouncing, then Kurt had the horse go even faster, into a canter. Ianto rode beside her. She looked to her left, Sean was on the other side. They both went very fast. They were racing! She wanted to go very fast. She ducked down. Kurt said, “No, no. We are going fast enough. They ride to the river. Smell.” She sat back up. She smelled the water.

They arrived to see Ianto and Sean had dismounted and waded into the cool, fresh water of the Nile River. Ianto was splashing his hair clean. He took off his shirt and belt and washed them. On shore he slapped the water out of them, on a rock. He was unaware of everyone watching him. He looked around for Marena, “My army has moved. They are close. I’m leaving now. Kurt.” Kurt remounted his horse. “Sean stay with Marena.” Ianto mounted a horse and left with most of the men.

Two of Ianto’s men, Nour and Ahi, stayed with Marena and Sean. They stayed mounted and watched. They didn’t need to splash around in the river, they had lived next to the Nile their whole lives.

Sean waved to Marena. Then splashed a little water in her direction. When she looked at him, he laughed, “We are not sailing!” She didn’t know how she felt about that. First Nathan was gone. Then Seth was gone. Now Ianto is gone. She looked at Sean. He was trying to make her feel better. “Watch. There are no waves. The water moves so slowly.” He laid down. “I’m floating. Like the ship.” She wanted to cry. Kurt was gone. Sean floated towards her. He pulled on her fingers, “Try it. Lay down. You can do it.” He stood up in the shallow water. “Here lay back on my hands. He put a hand near her butt and the other near her shoulders. “Easy. Slowly. Lower yourself down.

She bent her knees and the water rose to her chest, “The water is cold.”

“It sure is. It feels good.” She hung on to his arm with both hands. “Hey, hey. Don’t worry. Relax. Feel yourself. You are not sinking.” She was not floating. “The more you relax the more you bob around the surface. Like a leaf. Take a deep breath.” She did. “Straighten your legs out.” She floated. “Look you’re floating. You are not on my hands anymore.” She exhaled, got frightened, bent at the waist and her head went under. She came up coughing and splashing both arms backwards, trying to stay up. Sean laughed as he held her. “You were floating! You did it.”They both laughed.

“I did it! I want to do it again.”

“Okay. First stand and take a long deep breath. To relax you innards.” She did. “Okay, let’s try it again.” She laid back and floated.

“Look the water is almost in my mouth.” Sean laughed.

The two men on shore kept watch. Nour glanced at the floating child, “I don’t think she knows how to swim.”

Ahi flatly replied, “Make sure she doesn’t drown.”

“Do you think either of them know about crocodiles? Or hippopotamus?”

Ahi replied with a look of derision, and went back to watching.

_________________________________________

Ianto rode through his army, thinking of Tansi. The men began cheering at his return. At his tent, several men waited to assist him. He gave the reins over to a man and went inside. He looked around. No Tansi. Nothing seemed out of order. He exited out the back flap and relieved himself. Another man followed him, and used a piece of wood and worked the sandy dirt.

Ianto used the pot of warm water next to the fire to wash his hands and face. He shook off the excess and looked around. Tansi was not there.

Ianto looked sharply to the doorway. Nobody entered his tent without his knowing who they were, before they entered. There were a few exceptions. Kurt. Sean and Nathan. Tansi always used the back flap. Kurt, Ianto knew was looking over the camp. Ianto was surprised when Nathan entered the tent.

They hugged each other in greeting. Then Ianto glared, “Three months? And not once did Jerry mention at a morning ‘trip’ you were here!”

“I’m glad to see you healthy and well.” Ianto hugged Nathan a second time.

“Where’s Tansi?”

“Where’s Marena?”

Ianto looked up at the ceiling of the tent, “Jerry. Can’t live with him. Can’t live without him.” He looked around. Nathan poured a drink and handed it to Ianto. Ianto took it and held it for a while. Willing himself to calmness. He sat. He took several deep breaths. Then he drank. It was alcohol. “Are you trying to drug me now, Nathan?”

Nathan decided to start at the beginning. He sat. “I returned to the ship thinking you and Marena would be there. I found you and the horses were gone. Nor was Marena there. Doctor was there and he tended to my leg. We waited. What else could we do?”

“A man named Sab took her. They boarded a ship at Yambe? An island south of Bird Island. Didn’t I tell you this?”

Nathan did not remember anyone named Sab. “No. When you returned, you said, Marena’s been taken. I’m going after her. I and the Doctor went north with the horses.”

“We sailed east to India.” Ianto paused and drank the remainder of his drink. “We caught up with the Captain of Tayir Saghir and his son Maiz, who then helped us regain Marena. The thing is, Sab. This was all Sab’s doing and he is one of the Others. The one’s with no telepathic ability. The one’s who left!” He was starting to bit off his words. “Did Jerry tell you nothing?”

“Calm yourself.”

“Nathan.”

“Doctor and I, we came here. This is where I’ve been ever since. Doctor looked to your men’s injuries and illnesses for some time. Two months? Then he left. He said something about studying. The men had nothing to do. The King had nothing for us to do.” Nathan shrugged as he said, “So. I set them to work building better housing. And started them competing at games, to keep them strong. It’s been rather.” He didn’t want to say it the wrong way. He thought of saying enjoyable, and instead said, “Sucessful.”

Ianto thought it over, “Good. Thank you. Marena is with Sean.” He splayed his left hand out and pointed at his left thumb. “They are down here. I left them playing in the water.”

Nathan understood. He knew they had sailed down the Red Sea, to Timsah then trekked across to the first branch they came to of the Nile. Ianto left Marena and Sean there, and then followed up the Nile, on horseback with Kurt. Who was probably outside waiting. “A few days after we arrived, dancers and drummers arrived. They performed. We paid them by feeding them. We fed and watered their ox, and made a repair to their cart. And gave them a tent to sleep in.”

Ianto raised his eyebrows. Nathan raised a hand in protest, “What they did at night was their doing. We gave them a safe place to be.”

Ianto wondered how long this story was before it turned to Tansi?

“When they left. Tansi went with them.”

“No.”

“Yes. I thought the same thing. I sent ten men after them. Ten. Five, who knew what Tansi looked like. They returned.” Nathan stated emphatically, “Tansi wasn’t with them.”

Ianto’s face went blank, “They killed him.”

“For what purpose? And who?”

“Leave me.” Nathan stared. “For a short while. Find me when we eat.” He stood and reached down to Nathan, and helped him up. His voice became softer, “How is your leg?” He didn’t move away from him. He looked at Nathan. Studying him.

He answered in kind, “Well. I’m to exercise it. And not lay down all day. Doctor said the woman who fixed my leg was good. So good, I think he returned to her. To learn from her. He took a horse and one guard with him.”

Ianto looked like he had a surprise. “Marena taught me to count to a hundred.” The both smiled. Nathan headed toward the door. “Yeah. And to write them in the sand.”

Nathan said as he walked out, “I’ll have to ask her to teach me.”

Ianto sat and stared as he thought over the last three months. The only event that seemed significant was Sab leaving the ship. If Sab knew the Drummers from before, then maybe he was with them when they came to his camp? If that was true, then why kill Tansi? Revenge? Sab was the attacker. He stole Marena. He lost Marena. So, he stole Tansi? If that was true, then was it possible Sab held Tansi for ransome? Or to exchange for Marena? Ianto suddenly wanted Marena near him.

Tansi would never leave him. Ianto thought back over the two years since they first met. Tansi was wrestling in a field with the other men from his village. The wrestlers wore pants. Pants that were cropped at the knee. They covered themselves with olive oil then they began the competitions. It seemed unseemly for him to stare at only one wrestler and for so long. Then Tansi had looked at him and it was okay. Their courtship went on for a year and a half. Throughout the whole first year, Ianto was engaged in a war. Then the war was over. Ianto’s duties encluded escorting the fallen leader to his King. He waited for the meetings to be finished. His King accepted a great prize for releasing the few remaining members of the fallen army and their leader. Ianto escorted the leader back to his homeland.

Tansi went with Ianto on that trip. They walked together. Ianto taught Tansi to ride. Tansi had insisted, “I need a job. I need a reason to be traveling with you.” So, Ianto had taught him to pack and unpack the tent and equipment. And how to serve a meal. Which still felt wrong to Ianto until Tansi had explained, “Someone has to be here to take care of your things, when you are not here. I want to be the one. I don’t want someone else here.”

And then Ianto remembered the rock. While walking and talking, a rock had been kicked loose. A strange looking rock. Round yet not smooth as river rocks which have a polished surface. They had worked at trying to cut it in half for many days. With their heads close together, one held the rock while the other scraped. Talking and laughing the whole time. Long before they reached the middle it came apart in their hands. The inside was hollow with deep purple and white shining spikes of gems following the inner curve. They looked at how beautiful it was and looked at each other. They had spent many months learning about each other. They now knew what the other was thinking. Ianto had kissed Tansi for the first time. They slept with each other from then on, until Ianto left to find Marena.

Cutting the rock was a turning point in their relationship. Each kept one half. Tansi had kept his half tucked in the corner, next to where he laid his head. And Ianto had done the same. Until he left to find Marena, when he gave his half to Tansi saying, “Keep this for me, until I return.” Ianto had carefully lined up the two halves and tied them together.

Ianto looked at the two pieces of rock no longer tied together. Each half was in it’s own spot at the head of the bed. Ianto believed Tansi knew he was going to his death. Unless Tansi escaped. He had to find Sab. William was a long way south, below the Horn of Africa, looking for Sab. Maiz, his father and the crew would know Sab if they saw him.

Ianto laid on the bed he’d shared with Tansi. Still holding and looking at the geode, he felt the weight of the loss of losing Tansi. A strange stillness stole over him. He felt cold and ridged. He shut his eyes. He had to find Tansi. And what of Sab? Use him to find Tansi? If he was responsible for taking Tansi from him? Also. What was he to do with Marena? Should he still send her to Roma? Or keep her with him? To keep her safe. Ianto was fairly certain his King, while generous in allowing him to search for his “stolen niece”, would not be so understanding of his wanting to look for someone, who he didn’t even know what they looked like. He finally thought, “I really need.” When he heard a man who had spoken to him, telepathically in the past. A man who never gave his name.

“Yes.”

“Hello?”

“Yes. I will help you. I will find Sab.”

“Thank you. Who are you?” And he was gone.

Ianto dreamed of Tansi all night. Early the next morning he got up early and watched the sun rise. The sky was a bright blue with the brilliant yellow of the curve of the star slowly rising. It would be quite hot in the afternoon. A light breeze wafted the smell of the horses around him. Men groomed and fed the horses. Others walked horses past him, on their way to the river. They knew their leader was thinking and did their best to stay out of his way. Ianto came to a conclusion. He felt sad. He felt Tansi had paid the price for his loving him. Because Tansi was not a member of the group. His sorrow deepened. Had he been a member of the group, Sab would not have taken him. Never again would Ianto ever allow himself to love someone outside the group.

Nathan approached Ianto. Why was Ianto up so early, and standing in the middle of the road, staring at the sun? He waited for Ianto to see him.

As Ianto saw Nathan he heard his “mystery man” in his head. “I found Sab.”

Nathan watched Ianto’s eyes go vacant. He knew the look. Ianto was either deep in thought or listening to Jerry in his head. Ianto looked at him, turned and entered his tent. Nathan followed.

The tent had been taken care of and tea made. A man, Tat, entered by the side flap and set out a tray of fruit and nuts, and left.

They drank and ate. “Where is Kurt?” Nathan went to the door, spoke to the guard and returned. They ate and waited. Kurt arrived. Ianto waved and Kurt sat. They drank. They ate. Nathan was not going to speak. He was going to wait out Ianto. Kurt had no such thoughts. He waited.

Ianto looked at Kurt, “Is there anything you need me to know?” Kurt shook his head, no. “Please bring Marena here.” He looked at Nathan, “Do we have anyone who knows about clothing?”

“I will find someone.”

“Marena needs new clothes. One outfit that is what women wear. The other outfit to disguise her. Anyone looking at her might think she is a boy. When she arrives here, have her dressed as a boy.”

Ianto nodded to them. Then added, “Kurt take company with you.” Kurt barely nodded and they were gone.

Ianto called out. Tat entered by the side flap. Ianto started to dress. His man helped him. Before Ianto left Tat handed him his dress spear.

Ianto looked like the leader of an army as he rode his horse around the camp. He spent some time looking at the new housing. He found the area they were using for practice and the second area for “games”. He rode to his King’s palace.

Ianto was shown into the King’s rooms. He bowed, “My King.”

“You found your missing child?”

“Thank you for letting me retrieve them. I await your commands.”

“Three months, Ianto.” The King sighed. I’m glad to see you have returned safely. Do you need anything?”

“Your orders.”

Dismissively the King replied, “Return to me tomorrow. In the afternoon.” Ianto bowed and left.


	21. Waiting.

Tat quietly helped Ianto to remove his dress clothing, then served him a meal. Tat was a generous man. Having Tansi moved into Ianto’s tent and then be given Tat’s employment, would have caused most men to feel some rancor, and bitterness. Not Tat. Ianto had chosen his servant wisely. If any had asked Tat, if he felt joy at returning to his former employment, his most likely reply would have been, he was deeply happy that Ianto had returned from his three month trip. If someone in his family, of which he no longer had any, had asked him the same question, his reply would have been a smile and a simple statement, that he was happy Ianto had found someone to love. From the moment Tansi went missing Tat had worried and looked for him. He kept alert for any and all talk of Tansi from that moment on. Eventually he listened to the prostitutes, especially, Aahmas.

Ianto ate alone. He spent most of the rest of the day inspecting his weapons as he pondered the last few days and the events of the last three months involving Sab. That evening he ate dinner at the communial fire with many of his men. They were eager to be near their leader. Ianto listened with great interest to his men’s adventures while he was gone. Their stories covered the new housing, the playing of ‘games’, the death of a man, and the births and death of a few horses. The man had died in his sleep.

Many men sat around the communal fire that evening. Ianto shared stories of his travels in India. Many had been aboard a ship on the Nile. Never had any of them been on the White Sea, the Red Sea, nor the open seas beyond the land to the East. They wished they had been with him. All of them wished they had been there to help Ianto, to do even the smallest chore for him.

That night Ianto awoke to the rear flap opening. Without any movement on his part, he readied for an attack. He studied the dim form before him. The man bowed down without hardly taking a step into the tent, his arms streatched out in front with his fingers spread wide. Showing he was weaponless.

Ianto stood and looked down at the man. It was very dark. Too dark for him to see the man’s features. Ianto picked up the stick used to stir the embers. Tat came in through the flap and immediately began building up the fire with dried grasses and such. Bringing up the flames until it was bright enough for Ianto to examine the man.

By his dress, the prostrate man was a prostitute. Ianto spoke tiredly, “I did not call for this.” He looked at Tat.

“He was not brought here.” Ianto gave Tat a nod and went back to the man on the mat.

“Sit.” Commanded Ianto. The man sat up and kept his eyes steadfastly on the ground. “I do not recognize him.”

“He is known,” Tat hesitated, “to your army.”

“You come to me? To ply your trade?”

“No.”

“Then something brought him here. Speak.”

“Tansi. He came to me.”

Ianto gave no indication of his feelings or his anger. Softer he asked, “Where?”

“The. A tent was set up for the Drummers. I. We set up our tent next to theirs.” The man gave every sign of sadness. With sighs and drooping shoulders he explained even though he expected to be killed for his words. “He believed one of the drummers meant him harm. Exactly what they might do to him, he didn’t say. I hid him in my tent. And then he was gone.” His hand flopped uselessly.

Ianto looked at Tat. “Tea.” Tat already had the water heating. Ianto went to the doorway and spoke to the guard outside. 

Men sleepy eyed, began arriving in various states of dress. The last two were accompanied by Nakht and Cheres. They were more than his trusted aides. General might have been a better title for both of them.

The twelve men watched Ianto. “Please. Sit.” A few looked briefly at the prostitute as they sat cross legged. Ianto knelt down on his knees and toes. Nobody relaxed. “Which of you knew Tansi by sight?” The two Generals and five men nodded, keeping their gaze on Ianto. The other five looked away or down. “When you gave chase to the Drummers, who led?”

Nakht nodded. “I led.”

“It is true Tansi was not trained as a soldier. Being a good wrestler, he made a good bodyguard for my tent.” Ianto knew he was rationalizing to himself that this was his reason for keeping Tansi and not because of his love for him. “Look.” He waved to the prostitute. “He risked his life coming here. He is not one of us. He owes us nothing.” He turned to the man. “Speak.”

“I am Aahmas. A child of the moon. Tansi came to me. Asking me to hide him. He believed one of the Drummers meant to do him harm.”

Nakht asked, “He entered your tent and asked you, to hide him?”

“Our. The Drummer’s and my tent were side by side. He crawled underneath the side. I hid him. And then he was gone.” Aahmas bowed and moved to leave.

“You are the witness. Do not leave.” Ianto motioned to Cheres. “Take him. Feed him.” He realized the time and added, “Find a place for him to sleep.” Ianto thought and rubbed his face while waiting for Cheres to return. Tat gave him tea to drink. “Do you have enough cups for all?” Tat passed tea to each person. They drank.

When Cheres returned he informed Ianto of a surprising truth. “Ianto. Tansi many not have been trained as a soldier. He did kill. Almost a year ago. During the war. He fought not as a soldier. I saw him take a spear and stab a man in the back, to save one of ours.”

“I charged him with keeping weapons at the ready and to not leave the tent.”

One of the five men who knew Tansi by sight, spoke up, “I too saw Tansi in battle. A horsemen with a spear at the ready, about to impale one of ours, was thwarted when Tansi struck the horse with his fist. He struck the horse behind the rider and in front of the hind leg. The horse heaved sideways, the rider was then killed. 

A second man then offered, “I too saw Tansi during the battle. He wrestled a man to the ground and choked him. He did this to save one of our own.”

Ianto waited for any more testimonies, when none came, he spoke. “If any of our men were abducted we would find them. We must find Tansi. I know the name of a man who may be involved. However, I do not believe he is a performer. His name is Sab.” Ianto shifted into a cross legged position. “Sab is the name of the man who abducted my kin, my niece.”

“Three months ago I left here expecting to return in a week. A half month at the most. Sab arranged two attacks on us. The first resulted in Nathan’s injury. The second, Sab abducted the child and sent her by ship to India. I know.” He paused for emphasis. “Sab left the ship the first day of it’s sailing. I believe he came here and took Tansi.”

Ianto took a break and drank more tea. He looked at his Generals, “You told of one of our men dying? While I was gone. How so?”

Nakht explained, “During the night. He slept. In the morning he did not awaken.”

With deadly seriousness, Ianto asked, “During the same time as the Drummers visit?”

Nakht’s voice came out like a rock dropping, “Yes.” The men stirred uneasily.

“There may be no connection.” No one believed that. Ianto looked almost casually at his men. “The larger question is, who does Sab work for? And, is he done killing? Do any of you know this man Sab’s, face?”

One of the men, who up to now had been silent answered. “I do. Cheres instructed me to fix the Drummer’s stay. Their tent. Their food. And to watch over them. One was called Sab. When we rode after the departed performers, Sab was no longer with them. As Nakht searched the wagon and all their belongings,” he paused and waved to the men around him, “and these other men searched each man’s face, I asked them, “Where is Sab?” Two of them told me separately, that he’d gone to the river.” The man paused, thinking. “Because they traveled north and the started way one had of remembering, I had believed Sab left them almost as soon as they started their trip.”

“Did you learn when Sab joined the Drummers?”

“No. Ah. Sab never once hit a drum. Nor did he dance.”

The men looked at each other while Ianto thought. Each was willing themselves to remember anything they could, to aid Ianto. Ianto asked, “What did he do?”

“He spent most of his time with the wagon, the ox.”

Ianto’s eyebrow barely went up. “The wagon that was repaired by who?”

Cheres said, “I saw to it. It was not broken. They wanted a seat for the women to sit,” he paused, “on. On both sides. Not just the one side. High enough for the drum to fit underneath.”

Ianto stood. “Anything else?” They all shook their heads no. “Then we should spend some part of this night sleeping. Thank you.” The men nodded and left. Ianto pointed to Cheres. He and Nakht stayed behind. “A seat large enough for a drum might also be large enough for a man? And one with a “started” way of remembering might be acting to hide the truth. Those drummers show up again, even decades from now, they will receive a very different manner of hospitality.”

Ianto calmed himself, “One of you take company with you and the man who knew Sab, go to the river and follow it down to the White Sea. No. Follow it up for a half day, if you find nothing, then go down. This happened three months ago. Go slowly. Speak to each person along the way. Sit with them, listen carefully.” They nodded and left. Ianto waved Tat off and stared at the dying fire thinking.


	22. Wadad.

About the time Ianto slept, Nathan woke Kurt, “Let’s go.” Kurt first thought Nathan had some emergency. Then he thought Nathan had more than “concern” for Marena. He had affection for her. He smiled to himself and went with Nathan. The moon had already set. It was too dark to ride any distance away from the night fires of the camp. They dismounted and walked the horses.

Kurt laughed quietly. “I could be sleeping. With my wife.”

“Weren’t we supposed to bring company?”

“Argh.” 

“Well. You did bring the coffee.” Kurt heard the smile in Nathan’s voice. The sky gradually grew grey enough to ride. First at a walk and then at a trot. The sun was well up when they passed a tent/hut abode with cooking smells. They looked at each other. Nathan stayed with the horses, allowing them to crop grass. Kurt handled the exchange. He traded a quarter measure of the roasted coffee beans for two bowls of cooked grains. Some savory meat from last night’s dinner flavored the porridge. They licked the bowels clean, to show their appreciation and to make the cleaning easier. They thanked the man politely, careful to never look in his doorway and continued their trip.

Hours later when they neared the river again, all four checked for crocodiles and hippos. Kurt stood guard as they drank, then he drank. Nathan watched while holding Kurt’s spear at the ready. They walked and let the horses graze as they walked. Then they went back to a mile crunching trot.

Nathan grew anxious as the day became evening. Kurt said, “Before we loose the light.” They cantered for a while. They followed the trail as it curved away from the river. It was a known spot for crocodiles basking in the sun.

Nathan and Kurt had reached Marena and Sean on the wrong side of the river. Nathan looked at Sean explaining something to Marena. Sean and Marena looked across the river at the sound of Kurt’s laugh. “That’s right. We didn’t cross over.” Nathan plunged in. Both horses came up out of the river, shaking and spraying water. 

Marena said seriously, “Hi.” Kurt and Sean smiled at each other, at Marena’s obviously ignoring Kurt.

“Hi,” Nathan smiled.

Marena ran close to the horses, mindful of being on their “best side”. Nathan turned his horse making it easier for her to come to him. She said, with her own smile just for him, “Hi.”

“Hi.” He reached down and pulled her up on his horse. Kurt and Sean nodded to each other and to Ianto’s men. Nathan ignored everyone except the girl in his lap. He began the trip back to Ianto’s.

Marena said, “Hi.”

Sean called after them, “We sleep here tonight.” Nathan was oblivious. Kurt rode in front of him and turned both horses towards the makeshift camp.

Nathan dismounted and pulled Marena down and set her gently on the ground. “You are bigger!”

Kurt and Sean kept laughing.

In the middle of the night Nathan woke with Marena up next to him. Ianto was not there. There was nobody to give Marena to, so Nathan got up and walked some distance away. Kurt woke up, seeing he was not up to relieve himself, followed him. Sean woke, looked at the two men, then Marena, and went back to sleep.

Kurt placed one hand on Nathan’s shoulder, “Are you well?”

“Look at this!” Nathan whispered. Kurt got the giggles.

“You need a woman.”

“Won’t help.” Kurt sobered up and started thinking. He looked back at Marena. He came to a decision.

“Do your best with the beast.”

“Won’t help. This beast refuses to be ridden.”

“Wait.” Kurt took his sleepy horse and rode to the next village. It was quite a large village. It followed the usual layout. Fishermen next to the river, then the tradesmen, then the poorest, and surrounding the buildings was farmland and animals. He rode away from the river until he reached the crudest of tents.

Wadad stared into the night. A few nights ago she’d watched a big cat walk by. None of the dogs barked in alarm. She shivered in fear at the thought of being eaten. She heard horse hooves, and built up her tiny, very tiny fire of dried animal dung. Men with horses could afford to pay. When the rider was close enough to hear her, she laughed. Not loud, and a very “throaty” laugh. Anyone awakened by her laugh, went back to sleep. Anyone not interested in her services, would ignore her and keep on riding. The rider stopped and looked at her.

Kurt looked down at the destitute old woman. Her fire was in the small space between the backsides of three tents. From her dress he knew her husband died. While everyone slept, she waited for customers. With no roof to cover her from the rain and the hot sun he knew she was very poor. Few wanted such an old woman. He was about to ride on, when she spoke, gracefully waving towards a cleared spot of sand. Kurt ignored her gentle come on. He was surprised at the sound of her voice. She had been raised well.

“Come.” She stood. “Bring that which you would not leave behind.” She looked around her and picked up a clay pot. She slipped into her sandals and scuffed out the fire. He rode to the better part of town with her following the horse.

She had no idea where they were going and why did she need her pot? Maybe she was to take care of someone too sick for anyone else to want to be near them. Maybe they had leprosy? Maybe she would get it and die. She tried not to worry. Anything had to be better than where she had been.

Kurt dismounted. He draped the reins down in front of the horse and gave them a gentle downward tug. The shopkeeper opened the door. Kurt went in.

Wadad looked around in the dark at the unfamiliar street. She moved closer to the horse, who seemed to be falling asleep.

Kurt traded one and a half measures for a dress and two for a set of girl and boy’s clothing for Marena. He mounded the cup each time, to show his thanks at their attending to him in the middle of the night. The dressmaker sent a young boy to a shoe shop. Kurt handed Wadad the clothing and woke his horse. He led him and Wadad to the shoemaker, who was ready for them when they arrived. Kurt held out the bag of coffee to the boy and let him take a handful before he returned home.

The shoemaker sized up Kurt’s clothing and his horse. He waved and went back inside. He looked over the stacks of half ready shoes. He chose the best and most decorated pair of shoes and showed them to Kurt. When Kurt nodded, he measured them to Wadad’s feet. A few minutes later he cut the back to fit the heels to the shoes and was quickly done. Pleased, Kurt paid two more measures for the leather shoes. Wadad was amazed. Never before had she been measured for such beautiful shoes.

Wadad carried the clothing as they left the village. Kurt heard her feet slapping the ground, to keep up with him. He stopped and turned the horse a bit and looked down at her feet and back up to her. “Your name?”

“Wadad.”

“Wadad, wear the shoes. They are yours.” He reached for the clothing. She gave them to him. She set her pot down, removed her old sandals and donned the shoes. She looked up at him, obviously pleased at once again to be wearing shoes. She picked up her pot and held out her arms for the clothes. He smiled at her, “Wadad, wear the dress. It is yours.” He handed it to her and looked away.In the darkness she looked around, seeing no one, she quickly changed. He handed Wadad Marena’s clothes and started down the path. Wadad hurried to follow him, forgetting her pot.

Kurt stopped. Wadad was old and weak. He helped her up on the horse. And she smelled. She sat sideways in front of him. He held on to her and his spear when they cantered. “Hold onto the hair.”

Wadad gripped the horse’s mane with both hands. Having never been on a horse before, shewas determined to walk back afterwards.

They reached Sean’s camp. Kurt’s horse gratefully joined the other horses with blowing noises. Careful to never look at her, Kurt watched over Wadad as she bathed in the river.

She had had little access to the river to bathe, since it meant leaving behind her few belongings. She usually used her pot to bathe. That was when she remembered her pot. Scrubbing her hair she debated with herself to sell the dress, or maybe they might find the pot on the way back?

Kurt walked her to Nathan. “This is Nathan. He loves someone he cannot have.” He handed Nathan the night watch torch and left them.

Wadad noticed the laughter in Kurt’s voice did not sound rude. She had never in the last twenty years since her husband and family died of the pox, known anyone to dress or bathe a prostitute beforehand. Or bring her to the customer. Nathan by the light of the torch was handsome. She moved close to him, and he moved back. This was her job and he didn’t want her? If he rejected her might the dress and shoes be taken back? It must be because she was old. And wet. And not the one he loved.

“Are you diseased?”

“No.”

Wadad moved the beautiful dress out of the way, and dropped onto her knees. She lifted his skirt to check for illness. He lowered the torch and she checked everywhere. Nathan shut his eyes at her touch.

Later he walked her to the river and they bathed together. They took longer than they needed. Kurt stood nearby watching the water for hippos.

After they dressed, she looked around. The horses were sleeping. Nathan laid down and went to sleep. She had a moments panic until she saw Kurt. He waited for her, pointing at the ground. She went to him, fully expecting him to lay next to her. 

Kurt went to Sean and woke him for his turn at watch. He followed the sleepy man, “She.” He pointed with his chin. Sean woke up at seeing the woman in Kurt’s bed. “Is for Nathan.” Sean grinned. “But, I’m thinking she will be a maid for Marena. Keep anyone else from trying to sleep with her.” Kurt used Sean’s bed and slept.

Wadad watched for a while longer, then she too fell asleep.

Marena woke up full of vim and vigor. She was ready to ride with Nathan. Instead everyone was sitting in a rough circle, eating and talking. She went to Nathan and stood behind him with her arms draped over his shoulders. Their heads leaned in towards each other. Nathan waved, “I have someone for you.” Marena looked around and was surprised to see a woman seated slightly behind the men.

“What does she have for me?”

“She is a maid. She is your maid and will live with you for the rest of her life. She will care for you. Watch over you. And most importantly she will teach you to be a woman. Marena.” Marena stopped looking at the woman and moved to look Nathan in the face. “She is not a slave. Her name is Wadad. Go say hello to her. Properly.”

Marena went to the woman. There were five decades difference in their ages. Marena knelt properly. “Hello, Wadad.”

“Hello, Marena.”

“Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you, Marena. I see that you have been properly trained to be a wife.” Marena smiled and looked back at Nathan. “The breakfast they made was very good. I was thankful to have eaten with Sean and everyone.” Wadad was astute enough to know this was Sean’s camp and not Kurt’s, and that Nathan’s love was in front of her.

“Will you be riding with us?”

“Where you go. I will go, also. Even if it means riding a horse. Which I did for the first time last night. Do you find riding fun?”

“Yes. I like riding horses very fast.” They smiled at each other.

Nathan watched Marena and Wadad. They seemed to be taking about their hair. Marena was relaxed and then she laughed. That was the moment Nathan decided Marena should go to Roma. She needed time to grow, become an adult, and not be traveling around with Ianto’s soldiers. If she did, she’d be confined to a tent for weeks at a time. That would not be good for her.


	23. Roma

Ianto waited for Kurt to return with Sean and Marena. He ate in a daze, without remembering what he’d eaten. He bathed and did the morning trip. Hearing Marena eased at least one worry. He checked his King’s army, thinking all the while about Tansi and Sab. Sab had abducted Marena once already, had been seen in the area, and most likely had spies watching his every move. Ianto tense, waited for Marena and Tansi to be brought safely to him. He ached to be searching for his love. 

Ianto originally wanted to escort Marena to the Italian peninsula. Yet, he took his duties to his King seriously, which meant staying in Egypt. Therefore, he decided to keep Marena here. Close to him. Where he intended to keep watch over her and keep her safe.

Dressed, on horseback, and carrying his spear, Ianto met with his King. The rules and manners of dealing with Royality came easily to Ianto. Not dying, carried a drawback, forcing The Horsemen to change ‘employers’ every twenty to thirty years. Each King has their own set of behaviors they insisted on being performed. Which they assumed regardless how inane they seemed. The horsemen had discussed Ianto’s possible ‘retirement’ during the search for Marena. He listened to his King, on his knees and toes, with the same attention he’d given to his men. But, he’d not been given any orders and the King still complained about his absence. The King looked at him steadily. Ianto knowing the nonverbal cue, left.

Spending time and listening to his men, gave him a respite from his worries. Finding solutions to their many problems seemed mater-of-fact because nothing gripped his heart. He looked over the new housing, then found himself with Nakht. Nakht oversaw the wrestling. His men’s delight at his return and watching them was obvious. They put on their best performances. Covered in olive oil and wearing pants cut off at the knees, they wrestled in the afternoon sun. Their bodies stood out on the field of green grass, reminded him of watching Tansi. He ignored the feelings in his chest and moved on to the next group. Nakht followed him. These men were throwing small rocks attached to handles, at wooden spikes. Ianto watched mostly without comment. He asked for Nathan and was told Nathan accompanied Kurt. Ianto nodded to Nakht and returned to his tent. Night fell as Ianto waited for Marena’s arrival.

Ianto awoke at hearing a horse ridden very fast and the pounding of the hooves as it stopped suddenly. Tat helped him dress and then worked up the fire and began heating water. Ianto nodded, the rider was shown inside.

Nour, one of the two men Ianto had asked to guard Sean and Marena, entered. A coldness settled on Ianto as he waited for the explaination. Ianto was surprised when the man knelt with his arms and hands, palms up, in front of him.

“Please, sit.” The Nour sat and did not look relieved. “Tell me your message.”

“They go to Roma.” Ianto took a deep breath. Tat handed him tea.

“You must be thirsty.” Tat handed a cup to Nour. They drank together. “Tell me the names of who went to Roma.”

“Sean and Marena. Nathan and Kurt. Wadad and Ahi.” Nour looked around vacantly, thinking. “I left immediately. I did not learn the names of the boatmen.”

“Ahi, I know. Like you, he is a good soldier. Wadad, I do not know.”

“Ahi goes with them to bring the horses back. Wadad is a woman.” Nervously Nour drank his tea, thinking of his answer. “She is to be a companion for Marena.”

“Anything else? They are all well?”

Nour fidgeted. “Yes.” Ianto drank his tea watching the man. Finally Nour said, “As I left, Kurt, warned me there might be bandits. I am worried about Ahi traveling alone with the horses.”

“Thank you for bringing me this message so promptly. To your bed. I’ll see you again after the morning meal.” Nour nodded and left.

Ianto paced the tent with little glances at the place Tat had cleared for Marena’s bed. He reconciled to Marena being gone. It was enough that she was safe. He had so many desires. He wanted Tansi. He wanted to be at war, or planning a battle. He wanted to be in Roma with Marena and the rest of the group. And he could have none of these. Unless he ‘retired’. Where was Sab? Someone in the Group had said they knew of his location. But, where?

He became aware of Tat. He waved him to bed. Tat banked most of the fire and left. Ianto paced. He went to the door saying to the guard, “Nakht.” He went back to pacing as he waited. Nakht arrived still donning his shirt. “Nakht. Take four with you and ride fast. Find Ahi.” Nakht nodded and left.

Nakht spoke with the guard, awakened four men, then found Nour and questioned him. The five men rode towards the White Sea.

________________________________________________________

As they approached the shoreline of the White Sea, Sean, Kurt, and Nathan each bid Ahi good bye. Kurt warned him of the location of the crocodiles. Ahi smiled. Nathan added he should cross anyway, because of bandits. Sean nodded in agreement. Ahi left with the horses, the moment the riders dismounted, before the thirsty horses dipped their noses in the salty water.

Ahi up river crossed the Nile and headed home. In the darkness of night, he was overtaken by three men. Ahi feared they wanted the horses. One hung in back of the other two. Ahi recognized him as one of the dancers. They threatened him. Then they left, heading to the White Sea. It all seemed mysterious to him. What did they want? Ahi saw the cut on one of the horse’s hind quarters in the morning. The wound was not yet scabbing over. Ahi decided that was the message. He made his way to Ianto’s camp at a slower pace. When Nakht caught up to him, Ahi told of the man who cut the horse. They determined it was Sab.

  
  


————————

Marena sat next to Nathan the entire voyage. He did not help row, saying he’d help on the return trip. Nathan had no desire to give up Marena to the map makers. Using the Arabic language Nathan explained. “I want Wadad to be by your side until I return. Even though it may be many years.” Marena and Wadad looked at each other in tacit agreement. Nathan switched to the language of Marena’s parents. “The winter’s will be colder. We will find you a rock. Smooth and rounded by the river. Place it next to the fire during the day, at night,” he smiled, “place it in your bed. And you will have a warm bed to sleep in. It will be hot, wrap it in something. Green grasses or something.”

“It must be very cold there.”

“Sometimes.” Nathan waited a while. Everyone seemed to be sleeping or rowing. He looked the same as usual, but his eyes looked right into her. “I have a worry Marena.”

“What?” Marena tore her eyes away and looked around. She looked back at Nathan.

“That you will do a “mind trip” and not knowing what it is.” He took a careful breath, “become lost. The first time you go somewhere and you wonder if it is a dream or not, reach down and pick up a rock or a plant. If you find you cannot or you find yourself explaining to yourself that you will pick it up later, then you are on a mind trip. A mind trip means you,” he tapped her knee, “are at home. Maybe your in bed or sitting and your thoughts are traveling. On a mind trip, you see and hear. Everything. But, you cannot pick up the smallest thing.”

Marena trusted Nathan. She was not worried. She suddenly remembered Jerry telling her people were looking for her. “Can I fly? Up in the sky. Like an angel?

“Yes.”

“Do people do “mind trips” always at night?”

“The first time people in our group. People who can hear Jerry.” They nodded at each other. “Do it. Something makes them do it the first time. They are asleep. Or drugs, something you smoke or drink. After that you learn to do it whenever you want. We do a trip together with Jerry, every morning. Or every few days. Whenever. It’s good practice. Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes not everyone does it. The map makers do lots of mind trips, together. When you start, they will help train you.”

“That’s why you want me to live with them.” Nathan heard the sadness in her voice. He picked her up and set her on the side of the ship. He held her loosely around the waist. In easy companionship they looked off at the blue sky and fluffy clouds. They breathed the salty air. “Everytime I am with you, I have to leave.” They both thought over the times they had been together and then separated.

Marena had climbed down out of Nathan’s shirt to allow him to help Ianto. Was the memory Nathan thought of first. Marena’s first thought was of the first time she saw Ianto and Nathan. “I remember I saw you. I ate the onions raw. Jerry wanted me to wait for you. You came.”

”We did.”

”And you cooked the onions.”

”I did.”

Nathan smiled as he remembered. “After they are cooked they are sweet.” She looked at him differently. Nathan went past the boundary between rescuing a member of the group and wanting to be with her. He kissed her forehead and decided again to not tell her about the animals that had been tracking her and certainly not about his feelings.

______________________________________________

Everything about Italy was the same, just different. As they walked Nathan explained. “Ianto says, he calls the people here ‘mad’ sometimes. Other time he says they are ‘insane’.

”Why?”

“Because they live with the water on one side and mountains on the other. So, they are trapped. Foreigners in boats arrive and they never know if they come to trade or to attack them. They must be very strong.”

“Why do they stay here?”

“It is this way for all the people who live at the edges of the White Sea. They stay here in this city, because it has lots of fish and fresh water from the rivers. They grow plants to eat and keep animals.”

“Are they worried we will attack them?”

“No, of course not. The people who met us, live here. They greeted us as friends. Do you remember?” She nodded.

They delivered Marena to the Mapmakers. Nathan spent a few minutes with them and then held Marena for some time. “You’re leaving me again.”

Nathan took out a ring. “This is to remember me.” He gave it to her. She put it on her fingers. It was too big. He kissed her on the forehead. “I have to leave now.”

”Goodbye, Nathan.” Tears welled up in her eyes.

”There is something Ianto and I, and Sean and Kurt say to each other.”

”What do you say?”

”One person says: I see you. And the other replies: I hear you.”

”I see you, Marena.”

”I hear you, Nathan.” Her tears turned to a smile. Nathan nodded and set her down. The men left. Nathan made sure her last sight of him was of him smiling back at her. 

Wadad saw Marena’s sadness. “Come look at the rooms they have set up for you.” They walked to the back. She sat. Wadad watched Marena’s fingers play with the ring. “This ring looks a little too large. Shall we weave a necklace with the ring on it? Then you can wear it around your neck every day.”Marena smiled.

“Thank you, Wadad.”

Wadad fit right in. She knew how to serve these strange people, who rarely spoke in front of her. The strangest thing about them; they didn’t seem to care what they ate. Mainly Wadad spent her time training Marena.

Many years went by, before Marena saw Nathan or any of the other men again. She often thought about those few months with them as if they were a dream. Then she’d finger the ring and remind herself it really happened.


	24. Nathan returns to Ianto

The three men left the mapmakers. Thomas and Cook had stayed with the vessel. Cook let them know what they needed before they cast off. Nathan forced himself not to fidget. Kurt offered to stay and let Thomas go to the market. On the way, Nathan paid acute attention to Thomas and Sean as they discussed the timing of their departure. He’d hoped to leave the next day and spend the evening and morning with Marena. They decided to leave with the tide during the night. Nathan gave no reaction. He was thankful he’d given Marena the ring and said his goodbye properly this time. Unlike last time, when she’d been pulled from Rosie’s back, placed on a horse with Ianto, and was gone. Three months and sixteen days passed before he saw Marena again, and then they were only together for the length of a trip across the White Sea. The winds should have been against them, instead they’d been perfect. They’d made excellent time.

Thomas traded for the provisions. He knew the local’s lingo. Also, a few of the tradesmen remembered him. Nathan watched the crowd, thus he missed most of the trades. They returned to Tayir Saghir and told Kurt of their decision. After the sun set, Kurt kept watch while the other’s slept. The tide changed. Kurt slipped loose from the mooring. Before dawn Nathan began a lion’s share of the rowing as they tacked back and fourth against the errant winds and heavy choppy waves.

They did not stop at the mouth of the Nile, nor where Sean and Marena had waited. They sailed all they way up to an area of the shore that was near the Kings property. Thomas and Cook again stayed aboard. Thomas didn’t mind. He fished with a spear and was successful enough that others left him alone. Cook made food and always made extra for the poor and hungry. The orphans quickly discovered their largess. Together they made repairs to the ship and waited patiently for Ianto’s decisions.

Nathan quickly found a couple of Ianto’s men, who recognize him. He sent for horses. Nathan and Sean rode double.

Outside of Ianto’s tent, Nathan looked at Kurt and Sean after dismounting. Without asking how angry Ianto might be, Nathan waved them off. Kurt grinned and put a hand to Nathan’s shoulder as he passed him and returned to his own tent. Sean gave him a hug, and left him.

Nathan nodded to the guard at the door, who upended the curtain for him. Ianto was pacing back and forth. Obviously he knew everything.

“Leg still bothering you?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Ianto stopped pacing, looked at Tat and waved for him to leave. Tat left.

“I came straight here.”

“Not straight enough.” Nathan waited for Ianto to tell him. Something bad must have happened.

“Sab followed you. Right to the shore. He was unable to obtain a ship fast enough to follow you to Roma. I have to assume he knows that is where you went.” Nathan held out a hand. Ianto took it. He stood close and said into Nathan’s chest, “I’m sending Thomas back. He’ll watch over her.”

Nathan sighed in relief. “After. The ship has a repair. Have him take the long way around. And make many stops along the way to be confusing. Lest he be followed.”

Ianto nodded. “Eat with me.”

Nathan nodded yes. “I need to bathe first.”

“Go.”


	25. Epilogue, Ianto heads for Asia.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Re-read July 20, 2020, October 2, 2020, Jan 16, 2021.

Ten years went by. Tat passed into the next world. As did Wadad. Marena asked Jerry again at one of the weekly meals, if she might live with him. Jerry again refused. Replying as always, “Marena you need to grow up first.” What he didn’t tell her was that when she no longer desired to live with him, he would let her.

She protested. “Youlive right next to us!” Jerry looked at her fondly. Which Wadad had taught her to not let herself become infuriated by, but, instead find a way to get what she really wanted. “I know how to use my telepathy. I know how to do the mind trips. I help Helena,” she looked over to Helena. Helena smiled and gave her a nod. “And the rest make their maps! And I’ve been on the trips to the outer outer places!” She conceded, “It’s usually boring. Everything is black. All you do is listen.” They smiled at each other and ate their fruit. Helena changed the subject.

Ianto and Nathan have sent messages and presents to her, yet still have not visited nor sent for her. A year later Marena, now eighteen undid the necklace and wore Nathan’s ring on her finger. Still upset, she changed her name to the Finnish name, Maikki, pronounced My key, meaning bitter.

At another family meal the discussion centered on how Jerry had asked Ianto to leave his King and go find a telepath on the other side of the planet. Marena hoped he’d send for her.

“I’ve shown Ianto exactly where to go. Ianto has argued. “Since the man is in no danger and has a ‘comfortable’ life there, there is no reason I have to leave my King. Also, I’m in the middle of a battle.” Since Ianto will not go, neither will the rest of his crew. Meaning Nathan, Kurt, Sean and William. I think that since Sab had been found and lost, many times in the area, Ianto has a reason to stay.”

Another forty five years slipped by. Marena is sixty three and still looks seventeen. She changed her name some time ago to Melek, Turkish for Angel, and lives with Jerry now. She makes clothing that she sells in the market. She gives what she earns in trade to Helena.

Ianto’s King died and his son took over ruling the land. Ianto and Nathan, Kurt, Sean, and William used the King’s death to leave.

Marena was saddened, they did not return to Roma before they took a ship from Egypt up the Red Sea. Or down? Depends on one’s point of view. Egyptians placed the source of the Nile as their ‘up’.

They headed east around India and north towards Indonesia. Winter is setting in during this trip to find another telepath. The cold increases the farther north they go and causes the men to escape the freezing cold by stopping on various islands and building up large fires. To keep them safe from the wilderness and people of these strange places, they’ve asked Jerry to use his ‘mind trip’ abilities with the mapmakers to watch over them. Marena agreed to help.

The mapmakers are using the situation to their advantage. They’ve switched from mapping the northern area around the pole to mapping the islands of Southeast Asia. All they need is at least one member of the group to constantly keep track of the ship and the men’s movements. Jerry is doing just that. However he doesn’t give them the information in a manner that they can easily use. Partly because he refuses to live with them. Marena moved back in with Helena and keeps track of the ship and Nathan.


End file.
